Paint it Black
by jazzywazzy08
Summary: After the death of her grandmother Bonnie Bennett starts on a downward spiral and is sent to live with her mother Abby Bennett-Mikaelson. When Bonnie witnesses firsthand the life of luxury her mother has been leading, she's hell-bent on making Abby's new life miserable and taking everything that her mother holds dear, starting with her new husband Niklaus Mikaelson.
1. Foreword: An Interrogation

**Title:** Paint it Black

 **Rating:** M

 **Genre:** AU/All Human

 **Pairing(s):** Bonnie/Klaus, Klaus/Abby, Tyler/Jeremy, Damon/Emily, Matt/Caroline, Bonnie/Katherine (One-sided), Bonnie/Luka (One-sided), Stefan/Greta, Katherine/Lucy, Marcel/Rebekah, Elijah/Celeste, Esther/Mikael, ect.

 **Summary:** After the death of her grandmother Bonnie Bennett starts on a downward spiral and is sent to live with her mother Abby Bennett-Mikaelson. When Bonnie witnesses firsthand the life of luxury her mother has been leading, she's hellbent on making Abby's new life miserable and taking everything that her mother holds dear, starting with her new husband Niklaus Mikaelson.

 **Warning(s):** Sexual Content, Explicit Sexual Content, Infidelity, Extramarital Affairs, Drug Use, Character Death, Age Disparity, Daddy Kink, Attention Kink, Praise, Kink, ect.

 _ **Author's Note: This is an idea I came up with after receiving a message on Tumblr. I don't know how well I am executing it so far but we shall see as it goes. Basically, the message was regarding a Klonnie adultery fic and this is the idea I came up with. It is an AU obviously. No editing here but I hope you like it!**_

 **Foreword || An Interrogation**

" _That was her edge. Her secret weapon. She didn't give a shit."_

— **Janet Fitch,** _ **Paint it Black**_

 _ **Mystic Falls, Virginia**_

 _ **January, 2016**_

Bonnie Bennett sat across from Sheriff Forbes at the woman's desk at the Mystic Falls Police Station. She knew that the only reason that she was being spared the ordeal of an interrogation room and the whole "Good Cop, Bad Cop", routine that Liz and Matt Donovan had cultivated since he had joined the force, was because she'd known the woman since she was a child and Liz always had had a soft spot for her.

She watched as a Liz eyed her small belly bump and smiled a bit apologetically as she took the seat across from Bonnie. "Are you comfortable? Can I get you anything? Water? Tea?"

Bonnie smiled a practiced patient sort of smile that revealed nothing and nodded. "I'm fine," she said, "Thanks for asking." Bonnie placed a hand over her stomach. She doubted the woman would be as concerned about her wellbeing if she was aware who the father of her unborn child was.

"I'm sorry to bring you in like this but we've run out of leads and your mother has gone missing so...," Liz trailed, her tone leading.

"You thought I might know where she ran off to this time?" Bonnie asked. She sighed and made sure to wear the mournful expression of a put upon daughter who had been left one too many times. "I didn't know where she disappeared to the first time around and I have no idea now. I mean…she'd been acting distant but the two of us have never really been close as you know."

Liz nodded. "Of course," she said, drumming her nails on the desktop, "I know that your living together was a very recent development. Did your moving in cause any conflict? I mean it's a small town and the Mikaelsons are the most well off family in Mystic Falls. Abby and Klaus were newlyweds when you first moved in right? I've heard things. That there's been some trouble in paradise and well...like you said, you and Abby were never really close?"

The rumors about her mother's marriage had been swarming for months. She was sure that Sheriff Forbes had some angle in attempting to downplay them. She was likely trying to get a reaction of some sort from Bonnie, but Bonnie had been playing the game long enough by now that she could pretend to give a shit about someone or something, when really all she felt was nothing on the inside.

Bonnie held the sheriff's gaze as she spoke. "They faced the regular issues that come up with any new marriage," Bonnie cleared her throat, "Klaus…he was always a loving and attentive husband. He doted on her before she left. But like I said…Abby…was distant and it wasn't just with me. He thought that maybe she was seeing someone and then well…Jamie showed up and pretty much confirmed it and we all know how that ended."

Liz opened up the folder on her desk and took out two photographs. One of Jamie, Bonnie's wayward and very dead half-brother, and one of Mikael, Abby's father-in-law. "Jamie shows up, reveals himself to be the love child between Abby and Jonas Martin, and ends up dead in car accident just a few weeks later. Then you have Mikael, who according to both his wife and your step-father, Klaus, advised Klaus to divorce Abby after finding out that the affair was not only the reason that Abby had originally left town but was still ongoing upon her return. Mikael supposedly dies in a tragic hunting accident and then…your mother takes off...no sign of where she's going and no word about when she'll return."

Bonnie picked up Jamie's photograph and swallowed. She made sure that her eyes welled up with tears and her voice broke as she spoke. "I had just found out Jamie existed and I was starting to get to know him you know," she murmured, "Abby had left us both in different ways and after losing Grams, I just wanted so much to hold on to the family I have left and now Jamie's dead and Abby's gone and…my baby is going to be the one that really misses out. I just…I want her to come home. I've lost so much already and I don't understand why she would leave me again."

Bonnie let her false tears fall freely and rubbed her swollen abdomen for good measure. Liz stood and walked around her desk. She came to wrap her arms around Bonnie's shoulders. "Oh honey," Liz whispered as she swiped a tissue from the box on her desktop, "I'm so sorry. I knew this would upset you. I shouldn't have pushed so hard. It's just that. We have some questions for your mother and the timing of her leaving is a bit…"

Bonnie looked at Liz with wide watery eyes. "You don't think she had anything to do with any of this do you? You said it yourself their deaths were an accident and no matter what problems she and I had, I can't imagine her ever… She wouldn't. Would she?" Bonnie let more tears fall even as she felt nothing more than a dark sense of amusement on the inside.

"Don't trouble yourself with any of this sweetheart," Liz told her as she rubbed her back, "We'll follow up with Klaus if we need anything else or if we find any leads. You just worry about taking care of yourself and your baby."

Bonnie allowed Liz to take her hands and walk her back out to the waiting area where Klaus was waiting. Bonnie met his blue eyes and smiled. Klaus looked at her in the same way that he always did, with an intensity and hunger that not many noticed if they didn't know what to look for.

He stood immediately and walked over to her and the Sheriff. Bonnie turned to Liz and squeezed her hands. "Whatever you're thinking my mother had nothing to do with anything bad. We'll find her. She'll come home. Her family is here. She can't stay away for long. Like my Grams always said, we take care of our own." Bonnie lived by the same adage, just not in the way that Sheila Bennett had intended her to.

Liz smiled in a placating gesture and leaned over to whisper to Klaus as Bonnie went to retrieve her purse from the chair next to the one that he had vacated. "She's always been such a troubled girl. She's lost so much already. I'd hate to even consider what could happen if our suspicions turned out to be founded."

Bonnie hid her smirk as Klaus let out a mournful sigh. "My wife will come home soon and when she does this will all be cleared up," he said, his tone full of put upon optimism. "If she doesn't, Bonnie will have a home with us either way. She's family now. We wouldn't abandon her for anything or anyone."

Bonnie looked up to meet Klaus's gaze at the words and when she smiled this time it was genuine. "She's strong," Liz said, smiling at Bonnie in turn, "Most girls who've been through what she's been through and started down the dark path she'd been on before all of this wouldn't survive."

Bonnie wanted to laugh. Most girls. It was a saying that she'd always hated. Most girls. As if they all could be grouped and placed into boxes according to shade, type, and temperament. As if there was even a mold for all women to fit into. Most girls thought there was.

Most girls like Bonnie would've never walked the path she'd chosen, no matter the abandonment and no matter the grief. Most girls with abandonment issues ended up with a hefty therapy bill, not a love child by their stepfather and a body count. Bonnie Bennett had never been like most girls.


	2. One: Grief

**Title:** Paint it Black

 **Rating:** M

 **Genre:** AU/All Human

 **Pairing(s):** Bonnie/Klaus, Klaus/Abby, Tyler/Jeremy, Damon/Emily, Matt/Caroline, Bonnie/Katherine (One-sided), Bonnie/Luka (One-sided), Stefan/Greta, Katherine/Lucy, Marcel/Rebekah, Elijah/Celeste, Esther/Mikael, etc.

 **Summary:** After the death of her grandmother Bonnie Bennett starts on a downward spiral and is sent to live with her mother Abby Bennett-Mikaelson. When Bonnie witnesses firsthand the life of luxury her mother has been leading, she's hell-bent on making Abby's new life miserable and taking everything that her mother holds dear, starting with her new husband Niklaus Mikaelson.

 **Warning(s):** Sexual Content, Explicit Sexual Content, Infidelity, Extramarital Affairs, Drug Use, Character Death, Age Disparity, Daddy Kink, Attention Kink, Praise, Kink, ect.

 **One || Grief**

" _Whenever she thought she could not feel more alone, the universe peeled back another layer of darkness."_

— **Janet Fitch,** _ **Paint it Black**_

 _ **Mystic Falls, Virginia**_

 _ **July, 2015**_

When Abby Bennett-Mikaelson had come back to her small home town of Mystic Falls with a much younger husband from an affluent family who had once called the town their home themselves in tow, it had caused quite the stir. Abby had returned not just for the funeral of her late mother Sheila Bennett, but because the Mikaelsons had planned to return that summer to renovate their long abandon estate. When Abby showed up at the church in a black women's suit, black lace gloves, a black wide brimmed hat, and black red bottoms, clutching a red rosary in one hand and Niklaus Mikaelson's hand in the other, everyone at the church took notice.

Nothing much happened in their small southern town apart from weddings, funerals and the occasional party or Founder's event thrown by the mayor's loving wife Carol Lockwood. The black sheep of the Bennett family resurfacing after being gone for ten years, was sure to cause gossip. However, in spite of the murmurings on that day and the days that followed, Bonnie Bennett showing up to her grandmother's funeral drunk with a purse full of weed brownies that she and Katherine Pierce had whipped up the night before using the remnants of her grandmother's secret stash, had nothing to do with her mother's return and everything to do with mourning the late and great Professor Sheila Grace Bennett.

Sheila had been a lot of things when she was alive. She'd been a professor and expert in Occult studies. She'd been a grandmother. She'd been a gardener and a lover of music, especially jazz and Motown hits. She'd been a collector of antiques. She'd also been a free spirit that danced barefoot under the stars every full and new moon and skinny dipped under the falls at night when the mood struck her. She'd liked to drink and on the weekends she liked to get high and listen to old records and tell Bonnie tales of her youth. She'd been Bonnie's greatest champion and she'd been the town's biggest pariah. Bonnie wanted to honor all of her and so did Bonnie's friends, the ones who knew Sheila the way that she did. The ones that loved Sheila the way that she did.

Sheila hadn't just been Bonnie's grandmother. She'd been the first person that Tyler Lockwood had come out to. She'd been the one who'd taken Katherine Pierce in when she'd shown up to find her sister Elena who'd been adopted when Katherine had been left to deal with the hell of their biological family and father. The one who accepted her even if she couldn't live up to the pedestal that the whole town had Elena on, and didn't really bother trying. She'd been the one to officiate Damon and Emily's wedding even though his father didn't approve the match. She'd been the one to help Matt and Vicki pay the mortgage on their house when their mother skipped town. The list went on and on and like Bonnie they'd all come to the funeral drunk or high and laughing and ready to celebrate Sheila's life and not just mourn it.

There was a dividing line in the church that day, invisible and visible all at once. Those who knew Sheila best, dressed in color and sat on one side of the church. Bonnie who led the pack of her friends, Sheila's old students, and faculty members her Grams had been friends with, sat in the front pew in a long purple bohemian dress with gold detailing and a slit up the side, with her grandmother's drawstring purse full of pot brownies in her lap and a gold flask bracelet that Sheila had gotten her for her twenty-first birthday on her wrist. It was full of vodka from her grandmother's liquor cabinet.

The liquor wasn't just for mourning or celebrating, it helped Bonnie numb the pain. She had lost the only person that fully understood her, that looked out for her above all else. She didn't have any other way to stop feeling so much sorrow and emptiness all at once. It helped that her Grams had asked for it. To go out with a bang and with a party. She'd also asked to be cremated and have her ashes dumped over the falls but Abby had resurfaced and prevented Bonnie from carrying Sheila's wishes out. As absent as Abby had been for the last ten years, she was present and hell-bent on infiltrating the lives of everyone she had chosen to selfishly leave behind, even if it meant not honoring the wishes of her own dead mother. Abby hadn't honored Sheila in life so Bonnie didn't expect her to do it in death either.

Abby sat with who Bonnie had dubbed the fake mourners on the other side of the church. They wore black and murmured about how tragic Sheila's passing had been and how strong she had been when facing her illness up to the bitter end. But these were the same people who called Sheila crazy under their breath when they passed her on the street. The same people who laughed and made fun of her beliefs and occupation when they found out just how deeply immersed she'd been in the Occult. The same people who advised her father, Rudy, to keep an eye on her when she stayed nights at her grandmother's house at a time when she'd been in high school. But Abby didn't know that and Bonnie didn't think it would matter much if she did.

Abby sat with the fake mourners who had ostracized her own mother in life and let them shower her with attention in her own supposed grief. Bonnie didn't know much about her mother but she'd heard things from her Grams and her father and Emily. Abby liked to put on a show. She liked attention. She liked keeping up the appearance of the grieving daughter. Just like she liked the idea of being a part of an affluent family. She liked the idea of a younger man on her arm. She liked the idea of playing the role of the concerned mother seeking atonement and that was why Bonnie knew that the moment her Grams was in the ground she'd be the next stop on Abby's showcase.

Bonnie didn't know much about her mother's new husband. She knew that he was an artist. She knew that his family had once lived in Mystic Falls and were determined to make it their home again due to recent family revelations causing strife. Much of what Bonnie had come across was gossip. She'd hadn't bothered to seek any information out herself. She didn't want to know anything about her mother's new life or her new family. The woman didn't give enough of a damn to know anything about her.

Still Bonnie had come across bits and pieces of information in the two days her mother had been in town prior to the day of the funeral. The rest of the town knew of her arrival before Bonnie did. "Did you hear that Abby Bennett is back in town?" Carol Lockwood whispered to Liz Forbes over coffee at Mystic Grill, "And with a Mikaelson for a husband. One eleven years her junior, thirty five to her forty-six, and the black sheep of the family at that."

"Of course she chose the black sheep," Liz had said while stirring in her creamer, "Being an outcast in your own home makes you vulnerable. Being vulnerable makes you easy prey. There's a reason she and Isobel were always so close. They're cut from the same cloth. Why do you think she was able to blindside Rudy so well the first time around? She's a taker. She takes what she wants from everyone around her and when she's done she throws them away. She puts on a show for attention in the meantime and paints herself as the victim. Justifies it by saying people are better off without her. The sad thing about that is that she's right."

"I hope she's changed," Carol had responded, "Bonnie is so troubled and losing her grandmother has done a number on that girl. She's been hanging with the wrong crowd. Spending too much time with Katherine and that trash Vicki Donovan. Drinking, partying and she hasn't been attending classes at Whitmore since before Sheila died. Maybe Abby chose good timing for all of this. Bonnie's in need of direction."

Bonnie found it darkly amusing that her mother had been the one to leave and yet she was painted as the villain. The troubled girl in need of direction on a downward spiral of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, to her mother's mournful woe begotten grieving daughter that had come home with a rich family ready to seek atonement and offer her own daughter a better life in exchange for forgiveness. Bonnie had always been indifferent to her mother but as she looked at her sitting with her head down and her eyes full of crocodile tears as she clutched her new husband's hand Bonnie felt long buried hatred and resentment begin to surface.

Her Grams was dead and here her mother was alive and well, living some sort of happily ever after with her new husband and earning the town's forgiveness for her sins because they pitied her loss. A loss that wasn't even really hers, as she hadn't known Sheila or cared enough to take care of her while she was sick, in life. She hadn't been the one to cook her meals or make her tea or hold her hair back while she vomited or play her records when she was too weak to move. That had been Bonnie. And after the funeral was over it would be Bonnie who would deal with the fallout.

Emily and Damon were keeping Sheila's home so they wouldn't have to sell it, something Abby didn't care enough to contest. But Bonnie would still be a broke college student in her dorm, paying out of pocket and making ends meet waitressing and singing at Damon's bar on the weekends and after classes on weekdays. She and the ones she loved that she had left would continue to struggle. Her father would go back on the road again on business and she wouldn't see him for who knew how long.

Meanwhile, Abby would be in a mansion across town, with maids, and every luxury one could think of, getting waited on hand and foot and getting doted on by a man that didn't know who and what she really was. She wouldn't suffer like Bonnie would suffer. She wouldn't mourn like Bonnie would mourn. She wouldn't know loneliness like Bonnie knew loneliness.

Bonnie had her friends but they were all coupled off for the most part. They were all moving forward and wouldn't have trouble moving on with their lives after Bonnie's loss. Because as much as they loved Sheila, the loss was still Bonnie's.

Bonnie had had to take a leave of absence from school to care for her Grams and that had left her stagnant in a whole different way. She was stuck. She hung out with Vicki and Katherine for that reason, they were both single and uncaring and going nowhere fast. Katherine was selfish and a survivalist. Vick was self-destructive and a realist. Both were bad company for different reasons, but Bonnie didn't feel like she belonged anywhere else, not without her Grams.

Sheila had always believed in Bonnie more than Bonnie had ever believed in herself and without someone pushing her forward Bonnie knew that she would regress. She welcomed it. Feeling pain was feeling something after all and she had no one left to disappoint. The only thing she hated about the idea of giving up was her mother flourishing, while Bonnie reached rock bottom.

Bonnie's dark thoughts were filtering through her head nonstop as she was called to the podium to say a few words about her grandmother. She walked up, with her back straight and her head held high. She spoke of Sheila's loving nature. She spoke of her passion, her intellect and her loyalty. She spoke of all the virtues that the town had refused to acknowledge and then as her speech closed, Bonnie looked her mother right in the eye and said, "I know a lot of you may be wondering why some of us aren't wearing black today. A lot of you who never knew my Grams. A lot of you who were embarrassed by her or ridiculed her or ostracized her. For those of you who never understood her, I'll explain."

Bonnie cleared her throat and gave a few others in the crowd a measured look before she continued. "She wanted those she loved most to celebrate her, to even in our mourning remember the happier times. She said that she didn't live her life in terms of black and white and so when she died she wanted to be remembered in color. So all of you whispering about how some of us are spitting on her memory by not wearing black, look in the mirror. Look in the mirror and remember that she was more of parent to some of your children than you were. That she was more accepting of the people that you claimed to love than you've ever been. That she taught more lessons with her mere presence then your words or your absence could ever teach. But most of all, to all of you that made her feel anything less than the spectacular beautiful and transcendent woman that she was when she was alive, and have the audacity to believe that you could ever presume to know the right way to mourn her now that she's gone, I'd like to say…you can all go fuck yourselves and I hope you burn in hell. Thank you."

Bonnie took a swig from her flask bracelet in the silence that followed and she wasn't all that surprised when then people in colors stood up and cheered.

When Bonnie looked to her mother, she wasn't surprised to see that she was sitting with her brown eyes narrowed and her full lips pinched into a thin line. Bonnie was surprised however that there was one person on the side of the mourners in black who stood up and clapped, one man, her mother's husband. Bonnie looked at the man, _really looked_ , for the first time. Looked at his deep blue eyes, his full lips that were drawn up into a smirk, his dirty blonde hair curled softly at the ends and the stubble along chin and jawline. Bonnie met his gaze and she knew that her mother definitely didn't deserve the life that she now had.

 **:::**

After the funeral Bonnie had been forced into an awkward dinner at her father's house with her mother, her father and her mother's husband, Klaus. That's what he'd asked to be called. Klaus. Bonnie had had plenty of time to continue her study of him as her parents discussed her future as if she weren't there.

Bonnie sat at the dining room table picking at one of the many casseroles that had been brought to their doorstep by this towns-person and that old faculty member, that had started when her Grams had taken ill and hadn't stopped since her death was so fresh.

She'd changed out of her funeral dress and into a tank top and a pair of pajama bottoms that were apparently inappropriate for dinner, as her mother dressed for dinner at the Mikaelsons. Bonnie rolled her eyes at the thought.

Bonnie had sobered up more some, and she hadn't even gotten to break out the weed brownies as her father had practically dragged her away from the graveyard as soon as her Grams was in the ground.

Abby and Rudy had been talking about what should be done with Bonnie now that her Grams wasn't alive to look after her, as if she were still a child, as if either of them had been volunteering to look after her at any point in her life.

Bonnie didn't really give a shit about their little debate. She'd do what she wanted either way. It wasn't like they could stop her.

Bonnie let their words fade into the background as she eyed Klaus. He had the sense not to comment on their conversation. He didn't know Bonnie and he was an outsider in this instance and he didn't feel he had a right to intervene or have an opinion one way or the other. Bonnie respected him for that.

Bonnie had been staring for some time, and Klaus stared right back at her with curiosity and something like interest as Bonnie's parent's argued. Most people when on the other end of Bonnie's gaze became intimidated, Klaus was not. He seemed to enjoy the attention if the small smile on his face was anything to go by.

"You should eat," he said quietly, leaning forward so that she could hear. He was sitting next to Abby and across from her. He hadn't eaten much of his own food and seemed to find it about as appealing as Bonnie did.

"Why?" Bonnie asked, picking at her food with her fork once more.

"Alcohol on an empty stomach, isn't ever a good idea, love," he whispered. "You should _eat_ ," his tone was more insistent and Bonnie heard genuine concern there but something else as well. Something that for some reason made her stomach flutter.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow at the endearment. "I'm used to it," she shrugged. Still she picked up her fork and ate a bit of the casserole and his smile grew.

"Good girl," he whispered. He began to eat as well and Bonnie bit her lip as she felt the flutter again at the praise.

There was a clearing of the throat and Bonnie looked over to see Abby eyeing them with a frown before she turned to Bonnie with a false smile. "What do you think about coming to stay with me and Klaus," Abby said, "The house is big. You'd have your own room. His sister Rebekah and his brother Kol are around your age, you'll have company. We could get to know one another again. Klaus is going to start teaching Art History and Studio Art courses at Whitmore. You could commute with him when your leave of absence is over."

Bonnie grit her teeth. She didn't even know if she wanted to go back to school. She wondered if her mother even knew what she was studying. Bonnie was majoring in Music Theory and minoring in Dance. It seemed kind of pointless without her Grams to invite to performances or to discuss music with.

The only thing less appealing to Bonnie than going back to school was the idea of living with Abby. "I'll pass," she said.

Abby reached across the table and touched Bonnie's hand. "With all this drinking and the drugs. You need someone to help you through all of this," Bonnie glared as Abby spoke. Who the fuck was Abby to judge her? She'd only popped pills with Vick a couple of times. She'd smoked weed before, sure, but so had her Grams. Her drinking had gotten worse since Sheila's death but she could handle herself. She didn't need anyone there to hold her hand. Especially not someone as inconsistent and fair weather as Abby.

More than that Bonnie didn't want to be in some mansion watching Abby live the life she always wanted while Bonnie was viewed as nothing more than her mother's charity case. Another way to make her mother look good from the outside.

Abby looked at her with what seemed like a sincere expression and frowned when Bonnie didn't respond, "I have failed you in so many ways as a mother, but I will not let you destroy yourself," she said, fiercely, "Let us give you a home. Let us help you. We want you to be a part of our family."

Bonnie snatched her hand away. "You left your family when I was ten," Bonnie spat, "It's a little late to try to rebuild now. Especially when the only person who's been there for me as family my whole life and loved me unconditionally without reserve and unselfishly is dead."

Bonnie stood from the table with every intention of storming out but her body betrayed her and she stumbled as she pushed her chair back. Her father stood to assist her but Klaus somehow beat him to the punch, rounding the table in record time, his hands suddenly on Bonnie's hips to steady her.

"Perhaps this conversation would be better left for when she's a bit more sober, sweetheart," Klaus said, speaking to Abby over Bonnie's shoulder, "When she can put a bit more input about what _she_ wants for _her_ future."

Abby frowned and opened her mouth to speak but Rudy cut her off. "I agree," he said, "Abby, we have other things to discuss and I think that Bonnie should get some rest."

Rudy moved to take Klaus's place in assisting her to her room upstairs but Klaus held fast. "I can help her," he said, "You and Abby talk. It might be best that any conversations you have regarding your daughter be between the two of you."

Rudy shook his head. "With all due respect, I don't really know you and like you said, she's my daughter," Abby stopped him by placing a hand on his arm.

Bonnie saw the look that passed between her mother and father and she scowled. She hated that Abby could still manipulate him and she knew that as soon as she left that Abby would talk him into whatever plan she had cooked up where Bonnie was concerned.

Bonnie still had the dorms as an option but they weren't permanent. She'd eventually need to come home for breaks and the like and if Rudy wouldn't have her that left staying with Emily and Damon in her Grams house or couch hopping. She wasn't looking forward to either.

She hated the idea of staying in her Grams house without her Grams there. She didn't want to see them packing up her Grams belongings and storing them in the attic to make room for their own. She hated the idea of being in that place waiting for her Grams to come around the corner or walking in the kitchen without smelling her grandmother's cooking or seeing Emily tending the garden instead of her Grams in her ridiculously large wide brimmed hat. Bonnie felt herself tear up at the thought. Her parents would understand none of this. They'd be fine with Rudy turning Bonnie out and see forcing her hand as them acting in her best interest, when really it would be in Abby's.

Bonnie allowed herself to be steered out of the kitchen. Even with assistance she stumbled up the stairs and after she'd nearly fallen the second time, Klaus seemed to give up any pretense and picked Bonnie up, carrying her bridal style into the direction she pointed when he asked after her room.

When he opened the door and placed her down on her feet, Bonnie expected him to leave her there and be done with it. Instead he looked around a bit before pulling the red covers on her bed aside. "Get in," he said.

Bonnie blinked at him. "Taking your new stepfather role seriously, are we?" Bonnie taunted. "Are you going to tuck me in? Tell me a bed time story? Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, perhaps?"

Klaus adjusted his black suit jacket and gave Bonnie an amused once-over. "People warned me about your behavior," he said, "I suppose they were right."

Bonnie frowned. She crossed her arms over her chest. If he was listening to the town gossip, maybe he deserved to deal with Abby after all. "What about my behavior?" She challenged.

He leaned down until they were eye level and Bonnie swallowed. "It's very bad," he replied. From his tone she could tell he meant it as a joke but there was something in the way that he was looking at her that made Bonnie uneasy and drew her in all at once. "Get in the bed," he said, again, "You need to rest."

This time Bonnie obeyed and to her surprised, he actually did tuck her in. Bonnie eyed him, brows knitted together as he tucked the covers around her frame. A part of her liked being taken care of and another part found the whole thing strange. "What is with you?"

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry. I don't follow."

"Fussing over my eating habits, tucking me in," Bonnie stared, "You just met me. You don't know me. What next? Are you going to ask me to call you daddy?"

His hand trembled slightly where it hovered over the cover and Bonnie took note. He cleared his throat and shook his head as if he were trying to sort out his thoughts. "I'll be going then," he said.

"At the funeral," Bonnie said, not wanting him to leave just yet, "When I said all that stuff to Abby and all of those people who came just to be seen, not because they really cared, why'd you clap?"

Klaus paused and looked over his shoulder. "It was honest," he said, "It was raw and real. Not many people are brave enough to do something like that. Whether anyone else believes it or not, you honored your grandmother today. When my brother, Henrik, died…I blamed myself and I didn't speak at his funeral. He was young and wild and adventurous. He wanted to see the world and it got him killed. At his funeral…his…my…Mikael he portrayed him as the good and dutiful son because that was what Mikael wanted it to seem like he was. He didn't love him for himself. He didn't embrace his faults. He couldn't take the good with the bad. I wish…I wish I'd had the courage to do what you did and speak of my brother in a way that would have made him smile and honored him, audience and family be damned."

Bonnie let the tears fall, even if she hated to feel the sadness. At least someone understood and for that moment it was enough. "Not many people would've gotten it."

"You and I," Klaus said, almost seeming to talk to himself, "I have a feeling we'd be very much alike, Miss Bennett."

"Bonnie," she corrected immediately.

"Get some rest, Bonnie." He moved to hurry away again and Bonnie didn't understand why he was so quick to want to leave.

Bonnie wasn't sure why she did it. Perhaps it was the alcohol. Perhaps it was that she finally had something to focus on besides death, grief and resentment. Perhaps it was the way he had looked at her. Whatever the reason, she called after him. "Klaus," he kept walking, hands clenching at his side. She tried again. " _Daddy_ ," her tone was teasing, but something in her knew that she was testing the waters. He stopped, but he didn't turn around. He let out a shaky breath, "Thank you."

Klaus didn't respond. He rushed out the room and shut the door behind him.

Bonnie didn't sleep. She was still awake when Katherine snuck into her window an hour later and climbed into bed with her.

Bonnie laughed as Katherine wrapped her arms around her waist. "I'm not drunk enough for you to try to get handsy and not pull back a nub," she said. Katherine had never been shy about flirting and even a funeral wouldn't change that. She knew where Bonnie stood and so Bonnie indulged it and admittedly at times she used Katherine's interest to her advantage. It was no worse than the things Katherine, herself had done, and Bonnie knew that Katherine was aware when she was doing it.

Katherine laughed in turn and Bonnie felt her shrug. "Can't blame a girl from trying," she said, "You're grieving and I'm an opportunist." There was a pause and then Katherine sighed. "I hate this," she said, "You usually have a comeback by now. That bitch Abby still here?"

Bonnie nodded. "She's talking to my dad," she said, "She wants me to move in with her and the Mikaelsons."

Another pause and then. "Don't bite my head off," Katherine said, "But I think you should do it. Not just for the money, I'm an opportunist, yes, but I'm also a vengeful bitch. You remember when I first came to town?"

Bonnie did. Katherine had impersonated Elena the first week she was there, trying to tarnish Bonnie's former friend's image. It was how Bonnie and Katherine had started hanging out in the first place. Bonnie had liked Elena better when she was Katherine. "What about it?"

"I hated that Elena got to live this picture perfect life with her family," Katherine said, "Meanwhile, I got stuck with our controlling ass of a father and shipped off to boarding school when he got tired of dealing with me. I wanted her to suffer. People like her get everything, even when they're selfish and manipulative. No one calls them out. Even if they do they never get any real consequences. It's always people like us that get the backlash. People like us that suffer."

Bonnie sighed and turned to face Katherine. "If there's a point to this, would you make it already," she frowned, "I'm tired and too drunk to be sober but not drunk enough to forget how miserable I am right now. So please just say what you want to say."

Katherine touched the side of her face with her hand. "You shouldn't be the only one who's suffering," she said, "You shouldn't be the only one who's losing out. You've been losing and mourning all your life, starting with the day that Abby walked out that door when you were little. Sheila had faith that she'd come back when she found out that she was sick and she didn't. Abby waited until she was dead. Until she wouldn't have to face Sheila, until everyone would be too caught up in comforting her while she was mourning for them to make her face what she did to you. She deserves to know what it is that you're feeling right now. She deserves to have the guilt and the grief and the loss eat her up inside. She deserves to be miserable. And you deserve to be the one that gives her exactly what she deserves."

In that moment, a seed was planted and took root and Bonnie knew that it would grow. She thought about her Grams, rotting in her grave, she thought about her father who was still somehow under Abby's spell, she thought about the years she had spent blaming herself for her mother's abandonment and her parents' divorce, and she thought about Klaus who somehow understood her in a matter of hours, more than Abby ever had. "You're right," Bonnie whispered, "I need you to help me figure out exactly what I'm going to do."

 **:::**

When Niklaus Mikaelson had first been presented with the idea of taking in his wife's daughter from her first marriage, he'd agreed for the same reason that he did most things when it came to his marriage, to avoid conflict and to keep Abby happy.

They had been together all of six months before Klaus had proposed. When he had met Abby she'd seemed wild and worldly, free in a way that he had longed to be. She hadn't let anything hold her back, not the small minded people in the North Carolina town that he had found her in or the family she had left behind. She had praised his art and been attentive. She'd given him everything that he had longed for as a child, making up for years of neglect in the span of a few months. The sex had been incredible, in the beginning, she had been willing to feed his appetites and went along with the things a few women in the past had shamed him for. In the bedroom, she gave Klaus control, but that was the only place she allowed it.

At first, her controlling had been stabilizing for him. While he was controlling by nature, due to the lack of control spending much of his life under Mikael's thumb, he'd also been neglected by his mother and Abby being an older woman and so attentive had made up for much of that. Besides that, Abby had been controlling in a way that almost felt like it was his idea. Encouraging what she was willing to put up with and discouraging the things she didn't like. It had taken him a while to catch on, he still wasn't sure if it'd really been his idea to propose.

He'd took it all in stride. They'd had a whirlwind destination wedding and then Abby had put it in his mother's head that they should return to Mystic Falls. Klaus had been surprised when his mother had readily agreed. It was funny, that he hadn't really seen what she had been doing as manipulation, before Esther had fallen victim to it. Still, his family would finally be in one place once more and they would be together as one. He had Abby to thank for that and he knew that the fact had played a hand in his family accepting her as well.

The thing of it was, although Klaus and Abby hadn't been together long, and they were happy more often than not, he'd come to see pattern. Most of the time they were happy when Abby was happy and they weren't when she wasn't. He had begun to fall in line with the things that she wanted without much thought and so when she suggested Bonnie move in with them he'd agreed. The mansion was big, if things got awkward they wouldn't even have to see her daughter. Rebekah and Kol liked the idea of knowing someone their age in town and so the matter was settled.

It hadn't bothered Klaus until they'd gotten to Mystic Falls and he began to hear the murmurings. Abby had always made it seem as if her family had been hindering her freedom in the same way that Mikael had his. That they had been holding her back from being who she really wanted to be, when in fact it seemed that as far as the town was concerned, Abby had simply grown tired of the responsibility and she had left not due to being persecuted but to avoid the life she had chosen for herself.

It didn't help her case that she hadn't really seemed to truly mourn her mother. She cried in front of others, but in private she was well put together. It reminded him of the gallery showings when she would praise the pieces she'd privately told him were ridiculous to help him get a sale. In those instances, he'd seen it as her looking out for him, even when she didn't agree with his style or his taste. However, he felt that perhaps he'd been wrong, and that a lot of what she did was for appearances sake. Then he had met Bonnie, and things had gone to shit.

Bonnie was exactly his type. The type he had gone for before Abby. Young, beautiful, troubled and malleable. When he first laid his eyes on her he felt as if had been struck. It was clear that she'd gotten her beauty from Abby but it was more than that. Something in the forest green of her gaze, stirred the deepest darkest spaces inside of him, those appetites that Abby tried to feed but couldn't quite sate, no matter how much control she allotted him behind closed doors.

They'd called Bonnie troubled, but she wasn't just that, there was more to her defiance than just pride. More than the selfish rebellion that had caused Abby to leave her daughter and her husband without word or warning. She was defiant in her defense of her grandmother whom she loved. She self-medicated, to make up for what she had lost, because just like Klaus's mother, Bonnie's father neglected her and just like Klaus's true born father, Abby had abandon her. But unlike Klaus she had known a true parent in her grandmother and now that that was snatched away, what would be left in it's place? Things that Klaus knew well, misery, loneliness, and cravings for love, attention, affection. She was more like him than anyone he had met and he hadn't known her long at all. And yet…she responded to him in a way that no one else did.

The night of the funeral he hadn't been able to touch Abby when he'd gotten home. She'd been in the mood. She'd said she'd wanted to take her mind off things. He'd tried but something of his image of her was already changing and he kept thinking about the way Bonnie's breath had hitched when he's called her a good girl.

He ended up telling Abby that he was tired and then sneaking into their shared bathroom after she was sleep to take himself in hand to images of Bonnie and as he came he swore he heard her voice, low and sultry, calling him, " _Daddy_."

The next day he felt ashamed. She was his step-daughter on paper. In reality, she was a stranger. A stranger that he desired, a stranger that intrigued him, and he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do to stop it. He hoped she'd stick to her views on Abby, he hoped that Bonnie would choose not to move in with his family, and not just because he was no longer certain of Abby's motives for her to do so.

Klaus's hopes were for naught. Abby announced that Bonnie would be moving in the following day and on the day that Bonnie arrived, Klaus spent the day in his studio, out of sight. He could hear the comings and goings in the halls as she moved her belongings in. He could hear Abby and his sister Rebekah making introductions.

He had dinner sent up to his studio. It wasn't the first time he'd done as much. When he got working on a piece, sometimes he wouldn't see his family for days on end. They were used to it and he felt secure that his motives wouldn't be questioned.

The problem was, when he went to draw, all that came when he stared at the blank page was the heart shape of Bonnie's face, the soft curve of her hips, and the crooked little twist of her mouth. The more he tried not to think about her the more he did. It was insane. He was a married man. He loved his wife. His wife was Bonnie's mother. He couldn't entertain these thoughts any further. He wouldn't. At least that was what he told himself.

Once the house grew quiet and he knew that everyone had gone to bed, Klaus left his studio and walked towards the kitchens with the tray of food that the maids had brought him. He dumped the tray and then wandered through the mansion and into his study. He headed straight for the wet bar and poured himself a finger of whiskey and downed it before pouring another.

When Bonnie found him, he was four drinks in and sitting on the soft brown leather sofa, paging through a book on modern art. He looked up when the door to the study opened and his mouth went dry as he looked at Bonnie standing in the doorway. She was dressed in a white silk robe and a white night gown, likely gifts from his sister as they weren't much like the attire she'd been sleeping in the day of the funeral and Rebekah had gone shopping upon hearing of Bonnie's arrival.

"So this is where you've been hiding," Bonnie stated, as she entered the room more fully and shut the door behind her.

"Partially," he answered as he watched her walk over to the wet bar. She poured herself a whiskey, she took hers with a cube of sugar. He made a mental note of that but didn't dwell on why he would do so. "You shouldn't be drinking," he told her.

She rose her glass to him in a mock toast. "What are you going to do, spank me?"

Klaus downed the rest of his drink. "You shouldn't say things like that," he said as he swallowed.

Bonnie met his gaze and he could tell that she had read something in him that he had been trying to hide. "Why?"

Klaus watched as she licked her lips. "You know why," he said. He didn't feel the need to play games. There was something between them edging to the surface and he hated to think about what would happen if Abby found out. He also didn't want to talk around it. They were both too smart for that.

"Why weren't you here when I got here?" Bonnie asked, walking over to him, "It would've been nice to see a familiar face when I met your family."

"Is that why you came to find me," Klaus asked, setting his glass down on the tabletop in front of him.

Bonnie sat down next to him, closer than necessary. "I couldn't sleep," she said, "New place. Finding you was by accident." When Klaus didn't respond she continued. "I like Rebekah. Your mom, she reminds me of Abby. She like's things to look good. Mikael's an ass."

Klaus turned to her then. Either he was drunker than he thought or her scent was stronger than he'd realized at first. It was light, floral, gardenias and lily. "You're a good judge of character," he said, "I'm wondering what you'll think of the others."

"Aren't you wondering what I think of you?" Bonnie asked, her tone coy, but purposefully so.

"I think I know," he cleared his throat and moved to stand but stopped as Bonnie placed a hand on his knee. "Whatever this is, it ends here."

Bonnie didn't acknowledge his words as he settled back in his seat. He had been drinking. It could work towards an excuse. Bonnie downed the rest of her drink and set it on the table. "Your hair is different," she said.

The comment seemed almost nonsensical given where their conversation had been heading. Then her hand was in his hair and Klaus closed his eyes. "I got a trim," he murmured, "Nothing of note. No one else noticed."

"I noticed," Bonnie whispered, "It looks nice." Attention. He was preening under it and yes, she had him figured out. " _Daddy_ , you look so handsome."

"You have to stop this," Klaus kept his eyes closed as her other hand crept up his thigh. He held his breath as the hand in his hair gripped and then tugged. " _Please_. You're young. You're grieving. This is a game to you. A distraction. You don't understand, what you're doing."

"Then teach me, Daddy." She was good, too good at pushing his buttons.

He tried a different tactic. "I love your mother," he said it as a reminder to them both. His eyes opened and Bonnie looked unbothered.

"That makes one of us." Bonnie grinned.

Klaus smiled. She had given him his out. It was a shame that he needed one. "Of course that's what this is," he laughed, "You're just a little girl. A little girl with mommy issues, out for revenge. Your game ends here."

"If that was all this was do you really think I'd risk coming on to you like this?" Bonnie asked. She seemed sincere and he read that there was some truth in what she was saying but he knew the truth in what he was saying as well.

"I know you. I knew you from the moment I laid eyes on you. People like you and me, our garbage is the same. It makes us easy prey for one another," he placed a hand over the one she had placed on his thigh, "You think I couldn't do what you're trying to do? Say the right words to make you squirm. I'm older than you little girl. Much more experienced. How many girls like you do you think I've had to put over my knee to make them behave?"

Bonnie whimpered, the hand in his hair going slack, and he couldn't help but feel a bit vindicated. "If there were others before me, how'd you end up with someone like Abby?"

Klaus shrugged. "I thought she could give me something I hadn't had before," he said, "It was different. Exciting. Until it wasn't. Now it's whatever she wants it to be." He wasn't sure why he was being so candid. He had the feeling that Bonnie would know if he were lying no matter what he said. "You're different than I thought you would be. It's going to cause trouble for me."

"Only if you let it," Bonnie shrugged. She shifted and there was movement and suddenly she was there in his lap, straddling his hips, "The question is…do you love Abby enough not to let it?"

Before Klaus could answer there was a sound in the hallway that caught their attention. Bonnie jumped up seconds before her mother walked in. She eyed the two of them when the door opened and Klaus shifted uncomfortably on the couch as Bonnie stepped further away.

"I was wondering where you were," Abby said, looking at him with a smile that might've looked genuine to anyone else, "I checked the studio first."

Klaus stood. "Bonnie found me here a few moments ago," he said, "She just needed someone to talk to. Jitters about being in a new place. She was unsure and had thought about leaving but I managed to talk her out of it."

Abby's eyes softened. It was easier for him to lie to her than it should have been. Easier to make her believe that he was acting in her best interest. "Then I'm glad," she said, "You should come to bed. I'm sure you've been working all day and you need some rest."

She walked up to him an wrapped an arm around his waist. She leaned up to kiss him and he turned slightly so that she caught his cheek instead. Abby took notice and as Klaus met Bonnie's gaze he could tell that she wasn't the only one.

"Thank you, Klaus," Bonnie said as Abby began to lead him away, "For putting me at ease."

Klaus went against his own better judgement in the next moment and untangled himself from Abby. He walked over to Bonnie and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, it was brief and he was aware of the eyes on him. "We're family now," he said, "You don't have to thank me for those kind of things. You need to get some rest too." At Bonnie's nod he leaned down and whispered, "Good girl."

As he pulled away Bonnie shivered and gave a small smile. It appeared she had gotten her answer after all. She walked around him and at his glance in Abby's direction she wished her mother goodnight and allowed his wife to hug her.

Klaus made sure to smile and show his pleasure as she left the room. Abby turned to him and he almost thought that she could read what Bonnie had been able to read in him without trying. She knew his history, but she also knew that he was for the most part under her control and so Abby might let her ego lead her even if she did notice their behavior. "That's the first time she's been civil to me since I got back," she said, "I don't know what you said to her but thank you."

In that moment Klaus felt guilty, but he knew, even in his guilt, that Bonnie's question had already been answered. They had a lot in common, him and Bonnie. More than the loneliness, more than the issues stemming from their parents, more than their shared immediate interest in one another. They were both in their own ways self-destructive, and whatever trouble she was planning on leading him into, Klaus had a feeling that he would dive in head first.

 _ **End Notes: Sorry for any errors I am running on little sleep and no steam. Not sure if this sucked or nah so please review if you want this continued. I have some ideas on where this could go and I am hoping you are all enjoying this so far! Thanks for reading!**_


	3. Two:Smoke

**Title:** Paint it Black

 **Rating:** M

 **Genre:** AU/All Human

 **Pairing(s):** Bonnie/Klaus, Klaus/Abby, Tyler/Jeremy, Damon/Emily, Matt/Caroline, Bonnie/Katherine (One-sided), Bonnie/Luka (One-sided), Stefan/Greta, Kol/Vicki, Katherine/Lucy, Marcel/Rebekah, Elijah/Celeste, Esther/Mikael, etc.

 **Summary:** After the death of her grandmother Bonnie Bennett starts on a downward spiral and is sent to live with her mother Abby Bennett-Mikaelson. When Bonnie witnesses firsthand the life of luxury her mother has been leading, she's hell-bent on making Abby's new life miserable and taking everything that her mother holds dear, starting with her new husband Niklaus Mikaelson.

 **Warning(s):** Sexual Content, Explicit Sexual Content, Infidelity, Extramarital Affairs, Drug Use, Character Death, Age Disparity, Daddy Kink, Attention Kink, Praise, Kink, etc.

 _ **Author's Note: Hope those of you who celebrate had a wonderful Christmas! No editing here. I'll have to get to it and reread and edit at some point. Thanks for all of the reviews. Much appreciated! So here it is!**_

 **Two || Smoke**

" _I don't want things. I just want to feel like someone gives a shit."_

— **Janet Fitch,** _ **White Oleander**_

 _ **Mystic Falls, Virginia**_

 _ **July, 2015**_

The house was still full of workers, making repairs and renovations. It was impossible to walk down any hallway without running into someone on a ladder, or another person working on wiring in a fixture or yet another going over paint swatches with Esther Mikaelson. Bonnie spent most of her mornings outback by the pool as it was the only peace and quiet to be found.

She had met the rest of the Mikaelsons in pieces. There was Finn the mother's favorite and a lawyer. He was quiet, stoic, and obedient but sometimes Bonnie noted that what was in his eyes didn't match what he was saying or doing and that mischief there told her that she would have to be careful around him.

There was Kol, who was much more transparent. At twenty-two he was year older than both Bonnie and Rebekah. The first thing he had asked Bonnie after trying to hit on her, was if she knew where he could find a good drug connect. Bonnie had given him Vicki Donovan's number and had gotten a text from her about how good he was at eating pussy the same day. Bonnie had rolled her eyes and texted back that if Vicki was going to fuck her mother's brother-in-law, the least she could do was get Bonnie some information out of the deal. Vicki's response had been quick, "I have him speaking in tongues right now. By the time I'm done he'll do and say whatever I want whenever I want. You're covered."

There was Elijah, the noble and moral one. He was a historian and academic. His fiancé Celeste was opening an antique shop in town and he was procuring historical items and artifacts for her inventory. While Elijah was very, surface; all polite conversation, easy manners, and somewhat stiff demeanor with those he didn't know very well, Celeste was more open in a sense. Or at least she knew how to seem to be. She knew how to work crowds, to work people, and to read them. She was beautiful and posed and everything Bonnie wanted to be. She, like Bonnie, hadn't been used to mingling among the upper-class and the elite when she had met Elijah. She told Bonnie the best piece of advice that she'd gotten since her arrival.

"Most people of high society consider people like you and me to be play things," she'd said, "Disposal. Interchangeable. They play with us and then they throw us away when they get bored. The trick of it is to make sure that they never get bored. To do that... well, I couldn't tell you _how_ exactly. It depends on the player. On who you have to keep entertained in order to stay in. But these people also like to keep up appearances. The best thing to do is wear masks. Switch faces. Play your cards close and show people what they want to see until you can show them something they'll never expect. Then eventually they won't know what to expect and you've shown so many different faces to so many different people they won't know which is the real you. If you're good, if you're _really_ good, they'll keep you around to try and figure you out but they'll never quite manage it."

"No wonder my mother likes this crowd," Bonnie commented, "She's good at wearing masks."

Celeste had laughed and given Bonnie a sideways glance. "She is, to be sure," she grinned, "But she isn't very entertaining. Niklaus will be bored soon enough and start looking for someone else to play with. He's reckless and restless. Artists, you know? She tries. But she can't keep up. She doesn't know what he was like before. The hell Elijah had to go through to reign him in in his younger days. She believes she's tamed him I think. But there's an animal in that one that cannot be tamed. He's a wolf who wears sheep's skin. He can seem vulnerable and fragile. Mommy issues. Daddy issues. Temperamental in a way that makes you want to fix him. But it's all a part of the hunt. Your mother isn't his usual kind of prey. He's managed to seem like hers though, but I doubt it'll end how she thinks that it will."

Bonnie had raised a brow at the assessment. She had been advised by Katherine to find out, little by little, how everyone felt about her mother's marriage. To find a weak point. A way in. This was given over to her so very easily by the woman, Bonnie had to question, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Niklaus is dangerous when he's bored, sweet girl," Celeste had cupped her cheek and whispered. "You be careful of what mask you wear for that one little lamb," and then she had moved to walk away.

Bonnie was no lamb, but Celeste didn't need to know that. "Wait," Bonnie had called out, "Do you ever show your true self?" She made sure to look as naïve as the woman assumed she was.

"Only to those deserving," Celeste answered, "And in this world, there are very few that are. I was lucky when Elijah found me."

Bonnie saw her face soften when she'd said that and she was sure that her true self slipped out in that moment. "The only one deserving for me is dead," Bonnie scowled.

"Then you're more fortunate than you realize," Celeste said, and Bonnie was surprised until she continued, "It's better not to have a weakness for or around people like the Mikaelsons. The less they have to use against you, the better."

Bonnie knew all about changing her face. She'd done it all of her life. She had a face for her friends. A face for her father. A face for her professors. A face for the patrons at the bar where she worked. A face that was simply her, one that so few people got to see and her Grams had been one of them.

In her grief Bonnie had developed new faces. A blank mask that she wore that smiled when someone asked how she was doing. A mask she wore with her mother that revealed nothing and was all polite disgust on the outside and seething rage within. Then there was the face she wasn't quite sure about. The one she had not quite yet figured out. It was the face she wore around Klaus.

There was a plan, one of which she was supposed to stay in control of. However, more of her true self slipped out when she was around him than she intended. Then there was the side he was unearthing that she didn't quite recognize but she knew was still something she kept buried inside all the same. Still she wasn't completely powerless, he revealed himself to her as well. That was how Bonnie had known her mother wasn't his usual prey even before Celeste had confirmed as much. She got to him just as much as he got to her. She would just have to figure out how to use it all to her advantage, besides the obvious.

She hadn't been alone with him since that day in the study and it was the reason that she had, instead of coming to the pool alone that morning, invited Rebekah with her. She was apparently the closest to Klaus outside of Elijah and as she was the same age as Bonnie and seemingly in search of female friendship, Bonnie knew she'd be the easy in for information.

Rebekah's boyfriend Marcel was also Klaus's best friend and the Mikaelson's adoptive son of sorts. He'd been a runaway that Klaus had caught shop lifting when they were younger. He'd convinced his mother to take Marcel in and though Mikael treated him as nothing more than a charity case and Esther was civil to him at best, he was family to the Mikaelson siblings.

Rebekah told Bonnie the story as they floated next to each other in the pool in floating lounge chairs. "He didn't approve of our relationship at first," Rebekah was saying, "He's very protective of me and well…he doesn't believe anyone could be good enough. But Marcel and I were inevitable."

Bonnie looked at Rebekah over her sunglasses. The girl was in an old fashion white bikini with red polka dots. Bonnie's own was a gift from the girl, a pink and black floral number that tied on the sides. Rebekah never did anything that pertained to fashion by halves. "Don't tell me it was love at first sight or I might gag."

Rebekah laughed and rolled her eyes. "Nothing like that," she sighed, "It's just that…when you live like we do you're around the same kinds of people all the time. The rich only come in a couple of types. Even in the boarding schools all of the kids act the same. When I met Marcel, I'd never known anyone like him before. He was so different than everything and everyone around me. We didn't always get long but we were always enthralled with each other."

"Mutual fascination," Bonnie commented, even as she thought back to what Celeste had mentioned about the rich and boredom. Rebekah had been bored with the people around her and then Marcel had shown up and piqued her interest. She was beginning to see a pattern. When Rebekah raised an eyebrow, Bonnie continued her thought, "That's what my Grams called love. She used to say that begins with a mutual fascination between two people. Interest leads to questioning, which leads to discovering, which leads to knowing, and then to loving. Some couples just never make it to the last step or there's a misstep. The interest isn't mutual. They ask the wrong questions maybe. Or they discover something they don't like. Or when they know someone well enough the love that develops isn't the kind of love they thought it would be. But the journey is always the same either way."

Rebekah smiled slightly. "A mutual fascination," Rebekah repeated, "I like it. I'd found people interesting before. But it was fleeting. In the end at times it was just more of the same. So I jumped around a lot. Fell hard and fast but eventually the interest faded. It never faded with Marcel. I remember when we were younger we'd stare at each other for hours, unabashedly, unashamedly. As we grew it was hard to look away even still and when I did, it was never for long."

Bonnie took a sip from the mimosa in the cup holder of her lounge chair. "I guess Klaus understands now," Bonnie said, "Your relationship doesn't seem to bother him I mean. Do you think it's because of my mom?"

Rebekah made a scoffing noise and then seemed to think better of it. Rebekah took off her sunglasses and her blue eyes narrowed as she looked at Bonnie intently. "Can I answer you honestly?"

Bonnie decided right then and there which mask that she was would wear with Rebekah. The mask of transparency. The mask of peer. The mask of friend. Eventually they would be confidants and eventually Rebekah would be an ally. If she was going after Abby she would need someone on the inside. Rebekah had her own motives Bonnie was sure, but that didn't mean that Bonnie couldn't make use of her. "It's not exactly a secret that Abby and I don't get along," Bonnie revealed with a frown, "I'm here because I have to be. You know what I said at my Grams' funeral. I'm not one for bullshit. You can be straight with me."

Rebekah let out a sigh of relief. "I knew I would like you," she said and then, "If we're going by your grandmother's steps, Nik and your mother married at the discovering stage. It was new and fun and different. Nik was discovering things about her. He believed he knew her but in that short a time no one can really know anyone…though, I'm not sure time was the real issue. I didn't need time with Marcel. Time made what we felt for one another clearer and proved what I felt initially to be true, but I _knew_ with Marcel right away, as I said. I denied myself a long time as did he, but we _knew_. Nik…I believe he wanted companionship. I don't know that it ever got to love. I believe he believes he loves her. I also believe that my brother has no real idea of what it means or feels like to be in love with someone. He hasn't had a lot of love himself and I know it'd be easy for him to misplace it."

Bonnie made sure to look thoughtful. She was storing the information about Klaus for later use even so. "I don't know Abby well enough to know what she would look like in love," Bonnie said, she revealed just enough truth to inspire Rebekah to trust her, "But I know the effect she has on my dad. On men. She's good at piquing their interest. She plays wild and mysterious but really she's not that hard to figure out. Most men are lazy though and think with their dicks, so most are an easy target for someone like her. My dad is still…weak when it comes to her. She left us when we didn't suit her purposes anymore. She didn't look back. I'm a bit biased but it's hard to believe that she wouldn't do that do someone again if she had the chance."

Rebekah scowled. "I'm of the same mind," she muttered. She reached out across the space that separated them and took Bonnie's hand. "She talks so much about you and how lost you are but honestly you're young. We experiment. We experience. We explore. So you drink and you smoke and you pop a few pills. That's tame in comparison to what my brothers got up to at our age. Nik included. Even with all of that, you're more mature than she is. More real too. Nik isn't like those men. He knows more than he lets on... its just he's too ashamed of what he _really_ wants and too prideful to admit that he could've been wrong about her. He'll let her control him because he needs control,... stability. The thing about him is…he needs control but he likes to be in control. He's never been able to find the right balance. So now all the scales are tipped in your mother's favor and he just goes along with whatever she says."

Bonnie took off her sunglasses and met Rebekah's gaze. "I don't know Klaus well but…he and I seem to understand each other and I don't think anyone deserves that," she bit her lip and spoke softly, in the way that always made Katherine melt, "In this life love is rare. We'd be lucky to find someone who just gives a shit about us at all. I've never been in love but… if I was ever fortunate enough to find it, I wouldn't abuse it or throw it away so easily."

Rebekah squeezed her hand. "I believe you're right," Rebekah said and she had a calculating look that made Bonnie believe that either she'd figured Bonnie out or she was planning something all her own that Bonnie wasn't aware of yet. "You and Nik, would very much understand one another. In fact you're…" She trailed and then looked away. "I shouldn't say that."

Bonnie raised a brow. "Say what?" Bonnie tried not to sound too interested. She let go of Rebekah's hand and took another sip of her drink. "No bullshit, remember."

Rebekah looked to be debating with herself and then. "I probably shouldn't tell you this. He'd kill me I'm sure." She cleared her throat. "I don't mean to start trouble. But the truth of it is, you're more similar to the women that he went for before," she whispered, "So much so in fact…if he'd brought you home instead of Abby I wouldn't have questioned it."

Bonnie stared. She wasn't expecting that. While Klaus had spoken of others, younger women, she figured that was the only reason she fit the bill of whatever it was that he went for. It was convenient, that it made him vulnerable to her. Rebekah didn't seem to just be talking about age however, she seemed to read in her whatever it was that Klaus saw but wouldn't outright say. Rebekah being closest to him, it made sense that she'd know him well enough to know what he looked for. "I find that hard to believe," Bonnie said, clearing her throat.

"It's true." Rebekah shrugged, "You're young, you're beautiful, you're real, and all those qualities your mother has to try so hard to put out there to the world you have without much effort. Mystery, potential, and you're stronger than you look. You're a free spirit. I've never seen you dance but that and your love of music shows some creativity on your part. I believe the more we learn about you the more I'm certain you are in fact _exactly_ , Nik's type.

"I'm not all that and even if I were, Klaus isn't the kind of man that would be interested in me." Bonnie made a show out of laughing. She had to wonder why Rebekah would even say something like that. "It doesn't matter whether he would be or not. He's my stepdad," she scoffed, "that's weird."

Rebekah gave another eye roll. "On paper and for all of five minutes. Though, that fact would certainly _change_ the appeal for him, I'm sure," Rebekah stated her tone leading, though she sounded almost uninterested, if a little amused. However, the nonchalance seemed false, almost practiced. Bonnie also noted that she had said "change" and not "lessen". She was only able to dwell for a moment before Rebekah spoke again. "Now it's time for you to give me an honest answer, Miss Bonnie Bennett," and Bonnie thought about what Celeste had said about the Mikaelson's playing with people when Rebekah stated, "You said that you've never been in love. You're attractive and according to the town gossip a mess that every man at or around our age would love to volunteer to fix." Bonnie rolled her eyes as Rebekah continued, "So I doubt its lack of interest. So what's holding you back?"

Bonnie answered honestly but at the same time gave nothing away. "I dated a couple of guys in high school but when my Grams got sick, all that stuff kind of took a back seat."

"Understandable," Rebekah nodded, "But as tragic as her passing was, your life is your own again. You're free to live and love as you choose. I'm sure she'd want that for you."

Bonnie might've let the words get to her if she wasn't uncertain of their sincerity. "Right now I'm more concerned with going back to school," she responded idly.

"Love doesn't care about what you're concerned with when it comes. It just comes." Rebekah looked almost wistful. Sounded like a true romantic. Bonnie imagined that perhaps she was, but that didn't mean that the blonde wasn't trying to steer the conversation a certain direction. The question was...why? "So what's your type?" Rebekah asked.

Bonnie shrugged. "I don't really have one," she answered.

Rebekah sighed. "Everyone has a type," she said sounding doubtful, "These guys you dated in high school. What of them?"

Bonnie wasn't sure about the line of questioning but she knew that not answering would look more suspicious than anything else. "There was a Ben," Bonnie began, "He was hot and charming on first impression. But he was also arrogant, without having anything to be arrogant about, kind of clinging and unambitious. I'm all for confidence but having to constantly stroke someone's ego is a bit tiring. He was the first guy I ever dated and so I kind of went along with it at first but it got old quick and so he left me for this girl Anna. She treated him like trash though, which I find endlessly amusing. Then there was Luka." Bonnie paused as she thought about Luka. "He was sweet. Moral. Very obedient. Really into family. I thought at first he had kind of a rebellious streak but he was kind of just lying to try to impress me. He was a good guy."

"But boring," Rebekah smirked.

Bonnie nodded. "Yes," she said, "Very boring. He got me through a lot though. He loved me a lot. Still does. I just was never able to return it. How much of an asshole do I sound like? This guy is devoted me but I got bored with him so out he went."

Rebekah laughed. "You're going to fit right in here, Bonnie. You have _no idea_."

When they got out of the pool Bonnie's first thought was to text Katherine to figure out if her friend had any opinion in regards to the conversation she had with Rebekah, but she was distracted as she and Rebekah passed by a room being worked on. Bonnie peeked inside and realized it was an in home gymnasium. She shouldn't have been as surprised as she was to see the large room that featured expensive machines and equipment. There was even equipment for fencing.

What gave Bonnie pause however was the line of mirrors mounted on the wall and the bar being set up and mounted in front. "Does someone else in the house dance?"

Rebekah stopped walking and turned to Bonnie. "No," she chuckled, "Nik had it installed the day you met. The day of the funeral when you agreed to come live with us. It's just there until your studio is finished. A 'place holder', he called it."

Bonnie stared. "Studio? Why would he…?" Bonnie didn't like being caught off guard. She was there for a purpose. She had a plan. It seemed that Klaus was set to derail her at every turn and he wasn't even trying. She didn't want feelings to get involved. She wanted to take from her mother. But she realized in that moment in the case of Klaus it seemed to be more than that.

"He said that he recognized you as another creative spirit," Rebekah explained, "He wanted to make you feel more at home. Give you a space all your own. I believe his exact words were, 'she's a good a girl, and she deserves something special.'" Rebekah shrugged as Bonnie tried to downplay the effect the words had on her. "I guess he gives a shit."

Bonnie walked into the gym room, trying not to read too much into Rebekah's words. She stood in front of the mirrors, ran her hand along the bar. Bonnie swallowed. She wanted him. Not because of the bar or the studio, but because of what it meant. The thought behind it. Even if it was some kind of game. Even if she was just the prey. Even if Abby never found out and Bonnie never got to see the pain on her face when she discovered what Bonnie had taken from her. Bonnie wanted him and she would have him.

 **:::**

The painting that Klaus had been working on for the last few days had just been finished when there was knock on his studio door. He wasn't sure of the time. He suspected it was Rebekah, there to make sure that he ate. He sat the brush in his hand down and walked over to the sink in the corner of the room to wash the paint from his hands.

"Come in," he called. He turned to look over his shoulder in time to see Bonnie enter with a silver tray of food. He turned the sink off and felt uneasy as she glanced around the room. She eyed the paintings on the walls and the canvases propped beneath. Her eyes lingered on a few of the nudes and she raised an eyebrow as she turned to him.

"Rebekah said you hadn't eaten all morning and I thought you might be hungry." Bonnie gestured towards the drafting table with the tray but Klaus shook his head and pointed towards the table across the room that sat in front of the old black leather sofa that was stained with dried paint drips and splatters.

"I'm glad to see you." He said. He was. He eyed her in her pale blue lace dress, the back open and low cut, the skirt short. He just wanted to stand close to her. To touch her skin, her hair, her lips. He cleared his throat. "Thank you for the food."

"Are you _really_ glad to see me?" Bonnie asked, as she placed the tray down, "You've been absent the last couple of days besides dinner. I thought you might be avoiding me again."

Klaus shook his head. "I was working," he said, "Well and truly this time." Bonnie took a seat on the couch and Klaus sat down next to her. "Come and find me to cause mischief again?"

Bonnie turned to him and smiled. "Not just that," she said, "I wanted to thank you. I saw the bar set up in the gym. Rebekah told me about the studio. You didn't have to do that."

"I know what it's like to feel like an outsider in your own home," he answered, "I didn't want that for you. Your own space will help."

"Thank you," Bonnie said again, "For thinking of me."

"I was. I am often. Especially when I shouldn't." Bonnie didn't seem phased by his words but he could tell she was paying attention. Klaus watched her intently as she lifted the lid to the tray. He'd had been hungry only moments before but he found that he didn't really care about the food in that moment. "Your mother," he said, "When I give her things she doesn't see it that way. It's more about the materialism than the sentiment. She expects it of me as her husband. It isn't anything meaningful to her. She's the kind of woman that men buy a car for just to get her to stop complaining. The kind men buy diamonds for because it's the only time they see her smile. She isn't the kind that says thank you and means it."

Bonnie frowned. "I don't want to talk about my mother." She began to cover the stack of pancakes on the plate that she revealed with syrup.

"She's my wife," Klaus said. A reminder to himself as Bonnie began to cut into the pancake stack.

"I don't care," Bonnie said plainly.

"I'm aware." Bonnie leaned toward him and held the fork out to him. He opened his mouth obediently. The attention making the narcissist within him sing. He chewed slowly and swallowed. Watched as Bonnie picked up another bite for him on the fork. "Daddy's supposed to take care of you, not the other way around." It came out unintentionally and he hated that he wasn't able to restrain himself better when she was around.

"Daddy's been good to me," Bonnie murmured, "I'm just showing my appreciation."

Bonnie waited for him to take the next bite but he couldn't take his eyes off her. As ill-advised as it was, it had been too long since they'd been alone together. Days. He realized as he studied her, he could create a whole color palette from the colors of her body alone. The brown of her skin. The dark almost black of her hair. The green of her eyes. The pink of her lips. The darker pink of her tongue. The white of her teeth. The darker shade of brown of her nipples that he could almost make out through the sheer fabric of her dress. The black of her eyelashes. She was a work of art all her own. One he wanted to touch and paint with his tongue.

"Klaus?" He stared and then, "Daddy?"

The syrup dripped from the fork and landed on Bonnie's skin. She was leaning in so close as she held it out to him it ended up falling into the valley between her breast. She frowned and moved to set the fork aside.

"You're very distracting," he said. She didn't have to be intentionally so. For her, he was an easy target.

Bonnie set the fork down and turn back to him. "I don't mean to be," she replied, "Maybe you just find me hard to ignore. I had an interesting conversation with you sister."

"Did you?" All amusement left him. He felt like each encounter with her was a test of wills of some sort.

"She thinks that I'm your type," Bonnie smiled, "Exactly what you like, she said." She reached up and slipped the strap of her dress down one arm and then the other before easing it down her sides.

He watched as the dress pooled at her stomach, watched as her breast were revealed to him. Yes, she'd make a nice color palette, an exquisite one. "What are you doing?"

Bonnie gestured with her head towards the syrup that had dried on her skin, shining in the light. "I'm sticky. It's uncomfortable. You said you'd take care of me, Daddy. Won't you help me clean it up?"

Klaus grabbed her shoulders. At first he wasn't sure if he would accept the invitation or push her away. His desires got the better of him. He should've felt guilt. He didn't. He should've felt shame. He didn't. He wondered what Rebekah had told her that would make her so brazen as he leaned forward and licked the syrup from her skin.

She was warm and trembling. The sweet mixed with the salt of her skin felt like heaven on his tongue and he knew that it was only a matter of time before she had him where she wanted him. This wasn't a battle he could win. But as she moaned as he licked a trail from between her breast up the side of her throat, he knew that he would not be the loser either.

He stopped as he reached her ear and whispered to her as he trailed his fingers down her bare back. "If you want to push boundaries little girl, you need to be prepared for what you unleash."

"Celeste thinks I should be afraid of you," Bonnie whispered back, even as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"She's right," Klaus said, resting his head on her shoulder, pulling her body into him.

"I'm not." Bonnie shifted slightly and he lifted his head to look into her eyes.

She was a strange creature, so strange and yet he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anyone else. "I'm afraid of you. Of what I could turn you into. Of what you could turn me into."

She smiled. "I know," and then she repeated, "I'm not."

She leaned forward as if to kiss him and this scared him even more than her bare skin or his own thoughts ever could. Because a kiss was something far more intimate than a teasing lick across her skin or the teasing exposure of long sought out flesh. Those things were tests, taunts, games. A battle of wills. There were no games with a kiss. A kiss implied a depth of feeling that he was not prepared to admit that he had. Not for this girl. His wife's daughter.

"This isn't something that can happen," he told her before her lips could touch his.

"It's already happening." She was right. Of course she was right. The path wasn't even something they had tiptoed toward. They had ran for it. Bulldozed down it. Boundaries were lost and even if it never went farther than this, this was too far.

It wasn't that he was so torn over his love for Abby. He wished that that was it. Bonnie's presence was proving everything his family thought about his marriage to Abby right. It wasn't something of permanence. It had been an act of rebellion, a mistake, a misstep and an attempt to deny what he had been before, who he had been before. But it had led him down this path, to this girl, that was more open to each part of himself that he showed her than any woman he had ever met and it made him want to show her more. It made him want to show her everything. All the deep dark recesses of his tormented mind.

If it was like this so soon after their meeting, then how would he survive her living there? How would he survive seeing her day after day? He wouldn't. He would succumb. He would and he hated himself all the more for it.

Still Klaus replaced the straps onto Bonnie's shoulders, covered her breast and backed away from her warmth. He may fall, but he would do so on his terms at the very least. "You're really going to fight this," Bonnie said.

He nodded. "I told you. I've been down this road before." He had, and he hadn't. Nothing had been like this, like her, but she didn't need to know that.

"I won't make a move again," she said, "Not until you make one first. A girl can only take so much rejection."

If Abby was the kind of woman a man gave a car to, to keep her mouth shut, then Bonnie was the kind that man twisted himself inside out for just to make her smile. The kind that said love me, with her eyes. The kind that a man could never leave lonely without it twisting their stomach into knots. The kind that men fought other men for. The kind that made them foolish. The kind that didn't seem to know their own power but somehow knew exactly how to wield it.

"Never rejection," he promised, "Just daddy taking his time." When she smiled, he realized yet again, she had won.

 **:::**

After dinner the Mikaelsons had drinks in the parlor. It amounted to them all just sitting around not doing much of anything. Sometimes Elijah and Klaus would play chess. Sometimes Kol would play the piano. Sometimes Esther would work on her sewing. That night all of those things were happening all at once. Bonnie watched Elijah and Klaus's game as she waited for Katherine to come and pick her up and drive her to work. There were plenty of cars at Bonnie's disposal but Katherine and she had things to discuss.

Abby was playing cards with Marcel, Celeste, and Rebekah across the room and Finn and Mikael were sitting in front of the fire place. There was more silence than there should be in a room full of people and Bonnie wasn't really sure what to make of the family dynamic, even after spending days with them.

Bonnie sat in a chair next to Klaus's pretending to read a book on the jazz movement of the 1920's as she watched Klaus out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be deliberating on his next move, but his eyes kept straying to her as well. Bonnie flipped a page for show as she listened in on the tail end of Finn and Mikael's conversation.

"There's land all around the ruins of Fell's Church that's ripe for the picking," Mikael was saying, "I'm thinking of buying it. Knocking it down and building something useful."

Bonnie made a scoffing sound without meaning to and the room fell silent. She'd managed to not draw Mikael's attention or ire thus far, as Abby seemed to be constantly on the receiving end of the man's scrutiny and Bonnie knew she couldn't carry out her plans if she was under the man's radar.

Still as he cleared his throat Bonnie decided that she wouldn't be intimidated. "Do you have something to say, little girl?" Mikael said, his tone condescending.

Klaus stiffened next to her and Bonnie's lips pinched into a thin line as her eyes lifted to meet Mikael's. Elijah's back was to his father but his frame was stiff as well as he gave Bonnie a pointed look and shook his head. Bonnie ignored him. "I'd prefer Bonnie, thank you sir and I just find it a bit amusing that you seem to be taking this whole British colonizing thing a bit seriously. Coming into a small town that places an emphasis on its history over all else and the first thing you want to do is buy land you don't know the historical significance of and knock down a historical landmark."

Abby glared at her and Bonnie ignored that too. She watched as both Rebekah and Marcel put down their cards and Esther's sewing needle stopped mid-air.

"Don't get me wrong," Bonnie continued, "Fell's Church is an eye sore but these people are small town people and they reenact more Civil War battles than people knew existed and take pride in it even while being on the wrong side of it. Besides that if you go around knocking down historical landmarks you'll make an enemy of the Town Council whose members include the mayor's wife Carol Lockwood and the Lockwoods also happen to be the second richest family in this town outside of you and they're a founding family and so they have more pull than you do at the moment being virtually strangers, not to mention their political connections."

Mikael's eyes narrowed. "Who else is on this Council?"

Bonnie couldn't tell yet whether he was on the verge of blowing up at her and so she answered him calmly. "Sheriff Forbes," she said, "A few of the founding families. My former history teacher. All people I know like the back of my hand. I could probably get one of you a seat actually. My suggestion would be Elijah because he's a bit more diplomatic than you, ...not that you're not a treat," Bonnie's sarcasm was evident.

Bonnie heard Rebekah snicker and Mikael scowled but he didn't interrupt her as she spoke.

"If you still want to invest in the land my suggestion would be you buy it. Instead of knocking Fell's Church down, you rebuild it while keeping the foundation intact. Doesn't even have to be used as a church, but the ruins are still salvageable and if you market it as a town renovation project, make it seem like you want to preserve the history while opening up new businesses at the same time, you'll make a lot more friends here that way," Bonnie thought about how little the town had changed in so long and how many people would be accepting of the change as long as it was set up to keep the town's core intact, "Also, you could get away with buying and renovating a few more landmarks, creating and owning more businesses, which would build a foundation for your family in the town and make you more money . And if you were _really_ smart, you'd host a charity event and invite the whole town and then you could collect donations for all of it, not even have to spend a dime on the project yourself. Besides that, these people have not just loose pockets but loose lips when they're drunk. I work at a bar, I know. You could get dirt on the town's top players, investments for your future projects and your name would be on it all and you wouldn't even have to spend any money. But you know…what do I know? I'm just a little girl."

Bonnie's phone vibrated and she checked it, not bothering to listen for Mikael's response. "You have some interesting ideas, Bonnie," Mikael said finally and then, "Excuse me for my condescension before." It was almost an apology and from the look on everyone's face it was as much of a shock to them as it was to Bonnie. "I had heard things regarding your conduct," he said, eyeing Abby a moment, "But clearly I was misinformed. You are not so much in need of guidance but rather someone to harness your potential. I believe we should discuss these ideas of yours further and if any of them come to fruition I wouldn't be adverse to the idea of investing the money I had planned to invest in Fell's Church towards your college education instead. My own children benefited and continue to benefit greatly from theirs and I believe that you will as well."

Bonnie knew a bribe when she heard one. He was realizing she had connections in town and that meant she would be useful to him. Good. She didn't like the man at all. She didn't have to. She just had to gain his favor. Something that Abby didn't have. Bonnie glanced over at her mother and was pleased to see the crestfallen look on her face.

"I have to go to work but I'd me happy to discuss things at a later time," Bonnie said, smiling and putting on another mask. She met Celeste's gaze and the woman nodded.

Bonnie stood and moved to leave the room and stopped to study the chest board. She leaned over Klaus's shoulder and moved the final piece that would win him the game, a move he might've seen himself, were his eyes not on her. "Checkmate," she smiled and then she walked away knowing his eyes would follow.

 **:::**

The point of having Bonnie in the house was to make Abby look better. It was backfiring. The Mikaelsons were impressed with her daughter, even Mikael. After the show she had put on in the parlor, the others had decided to pay a visit to her daughter at Damon Salvatore's bar. "That was epic," Rebekah said, "We have to at the very least buy her a drink."

The plan had been to show what a good mother she could, to show what a disaster Bonnie was. But even with her deviant behavior, Bonnie was no fool and Abby knew she would have to try harder. Her mother's will stipulated that she return to town, that she try to formulate a relationship with Bonnie. She had to do it, she had to look the part.

Bonnie hadn't been there at the will's reading. She hadn't wanted anything to do with it. She was still in mourning and for that Abby was grateful. She'd loved her mother, but she had already lost her before she left town and so mourning her had been done and over with before Sheila had even died. Bonnie would contest Abby being left anything at all. It wasn't for Abby anyway, she had all she needed with the Mikaelsons. It was for her son, for Jamie's sake that she was doing all of this. Abby could take what little her mother had left her for him. She had left Bonnie so much more, even if Bonnie didn't realize it yet. Pearl Zhu would eventually track Bonnie down and reveal at least her own inheritance but Abby had to make sure that Bonnie was well established in her home before that happened.

So Abby trailed behind Marcel and Rebekah as they made their way to the garage. She held Klaus's hand and tried to ignore the way he talked to Kol about Bonnie with such pride before they made their way to their respective cars and headed over to the bar the Damon had named after her cousin Emily.

 _Emily's Lounge_ , was the most popular bar in Mystic Falls. It was formally an abandon factory and had three floors. The middle was the normal run of the mill bar, the basement held a speakeasy style lounge that had live music and was where most of the town's young people committed their sins after dark. The top floor was the club scene, another avenue for the young. There was also a lounge on the rooftop that stayed closed after the summer months.

Abby and the others started on the middle floor. They'd come looking for Bonnie and while the middle floor was quiet, music could be heard pulsing through the walls from other floors.

Emily greeted her coolly from behind the bar where Vicki Donovan was serving drinks. Vicki quickly caught Kol's attention and someone else caught Abby's. Jonas Martin was sitting in booth in the back having drinks with a man Abby didn't recognize. He looked up at her almost immediately and he looked at her differently than he once had, where in the past there had been lust, awe and wonder, there was now merely curiosity and the base hint of fondness in his gaze.

She'd always loved him more than he'd loved her and she'd always tried to bring back whatever it was that he'd seen in her that first night they were together but she'd never managed it. Instead he'd married another woman, had children with another woman.

Still he came over to greet them, to meet Abby's new husband. She wanted to show Klaus off, to show Jonas what he had missed out on. But Klaus looked distracted, not at all jealous or interested as he once again asked Emily where Bonnie was.

"She's down in the basement," Jonas respond, "She plays with my son Luka's band down there sometimes when she's not doing waitress duties. It's kind of calm tonight. We should all go down. Abby and I can catch up and you all can see Bonnie in action."

Abby smiled at the idea of catching up but hated the way Jonas's eyes lit up when he talked about Bonnie. Bonnie who should've been his daughter.

She, Klaus, Marcel, and Rebekah followed Jonas downstairs. The warm browns and the bright lighting of the mid-section was no more and they were led down a dark hallway with music posters and black lights.

There were booths and a crowd gathered, bodies everywhere. People dancing and Abby saw Bonnie right off, glowing under the black light in a white dress and dancing with Katherine Pierce as she passed by with a tray full of drinks that she was delivering from table to table.

Jonas led them to a booth and then went straight towards Bonnie. Abby watched as they hugged. She watched as Jonas whispered in Bonnie's ear and then her daughter's eyes found them. Bonnie didn't look pleased but she followed Jonas to their table just the same.

She sat for a while and chatted with Rebekah as Jonas sat next to Abby and Bonnie watched them out of the corner of her eye. Abby knew why. Bonnie hated the way that men looked at her mother. As if she were something to be coveted. As if she were an enigma or a mystery to be solved. It was all by design. To Bonnie, Abby was as transparent as glass but men like Jonas could be fooled. She didn't know that Abby's days of fooling Jonas had been numbered and ended a long time ago.

When Bonnie stood to resume her duties and Marcel and Rebekah went to dance, Abby was left at the table with Jonas and her husband. Klaus held her hand but said nothing as Jonas told stories of their high school days. Abby was only able to enjoy the conversation for a moment before her eyes followed her daughter's movements.

There were things that Bonnie didn't notice as she went about her job at the bar, wiping down tables and serving drinks. She didn't notice her effect on men and woman alike, but Abby did.

Abby's observations had started with the Mikaelsons. Kol had been first. He'd made his interest known early on, even if Vicki Donovan now somewhat divided his attention. Bonnie seemed to only entertain him with an amused sort of indulgence. Still, it kept his interest.

Then there was Finn who, since Abby had known him, hadn't been interested in much of anything outside of a law book and catering to his parents ever whim but she saw him. His eyes would wander and linger on Abby's daughter often. Even Mikael was interested after that stunt Bonnie pulled. Rebekah was practically begging for the girl's friendship.

Celeste and Elijah kept their intrigue under wraps but it was there, Abby could see it.

Now at this bar, Bonnie was approached by so many people. So many men. Some women. Katherine who's hands lingered on Bonnie's body longer than necessary as she whispered into Bonnie's ear as she passed.

Luka Martin who trailed after Bonnie like a lost puppy whenever she so much as glanced in his direction. It was an inverse of what Abby and Jonas had been once. Abby trailing and Jonas indulging her and leading her on.

Then there was Alaric Saltzman who hung by the bar to talk to both Bonnie and Damon as they worked. His eyes lighting up when Bonnie smiled in his direction, his finger brushing against hers when she refreshed his beer.

There was some man named Trevor that cornered Bonnie as she stopped by to refresh their drinks. Another woman named Nora who stopped by to say hello on Bonnie's break when she came to sit by them, and seemed more interested in Bonnie than a woman she'd introduced as her fiancé.

When Bonnie stood preparing to go on stage, Abby watched yet another man sneak up on Bonnie from behind and placed his hands over her daughter's eyes. She felt Klaus stiffen beside her as the man leaned down to whisper, "Guess who."

Bonnie turned and threw her arms around the man's neck exclaiming, "Jesse!" as he kissed Bonnie's cheek. "You're back."

"For good this time," he said as Bonnie pulled back, "Sorry I missed the funeral. I have some stories for you though."

Bonnie smirked. "Oh yeah," she said, her tone flirtatious and Abby rolled her eyes. Bonnie took his hand and led him over to a booth in the corner where Bonnie's friends sat and said, "I have a set but afterwards I'm all ears."

They flocked around her like moths to a flame. Swarmed around her like bees to honey. Still Bonnie stayed distant and Abby thought, of course they found Bonnie magnetic. When someone kept the world at arm's length, it made you want to be the one that they pulled in and let inside.

Bonnie seemed aware of it and unaware all at once. Those who made themselves obvious she didn't take seriously, even if they were, she didn't realize it. The others she didn't seem to notice at all. Bonnie seemed to think herself invisible when she was anything but. All that attention that Abby had to work so hard for came to Bonnie naturally.

"Bonnie's a very popular girl it would seem," Klaus said from next to her. Kol had rejoined them by then.

Jonas stopped his narrative and seemed to look surprised, which made sense as it was one of the first things that Klaus had said all night. Klaus had been more preoccupied with watching Bonnie than he had with Abby and Jonas. So much so that while he watched intently as Luka came up to Bonnie and grabbed her by the waist as he led her towards the stage, he didn't seem at all aware that Abby's hand was on Jonas's knee under the table.

"Are you surprised Nik?" Kol asked, "I mean look at her. If I have it my way, your step-daughter may become your sister-in-law one of these days."

Abby made a face and Klaus downed the rest of his drink.

Abby glanced at her husband and watched him watch her daughter. She knew of his tastes. Had been subjected to them from the time they'd gotten together because she needed to reel him in.

If it was just some sexual attraction, Abby could ignore it. She had faith that he'd be able to reign any sort of urges he had in for her sake, especially since Bonnie was her daughter. He'd had eyes for others before but he'd looked and not touched. However, it wasn't just that with Bonnie. Klaus had something else in his eyes when he looked at her daughter, something Abby had never seen before, something she couldn't pin down. He didn't look at anyone else that way.

As Bonnie took the stage and delivered her own sultry version of, "Focus" by H.E.R, Abby's husband's eyes stayed glued to her.

Another mother might've been disturbed. Another wife might've called him on it. But all Abby thought as she watched was that if Klaus was looking at Bonnie he wouldn't be looking at her and Jonas. If Klaus was looking at Bonnie, maybe she could use the situation to her advantage. There was an adultery clause in their prenuptial agreement after all.

 **:::**

Bonnie was able to put on a good show but she honestly became overwhelmed some nights when she was working. All the people, all the bodies, being on all night, was exhausting. She'd crept up to the roof lounge ten minutes after her set finished. Damon wouldn't open the roof up for another couple of hours and so it was a good place to sneak off to and just breathe. Though, Bonnie had in all actuality crept off to get high.

She kept a stash at the bar in the back office and as long a she still got her job done Damon didn't care or ask questions.

Bonnie blew out smoke and watched as it floated through the air. She listened to the lingering sounds of music coming from down below. She looked up at the stars and wondered a moment if there really was a heaven. She wondered if she'd ever see her Grams again.

She was startled as the door to the rooftop opened and she turned and wasn't as surprised as she should've been when Klaus walked out.

He closed the door behind him and his eyes zeroed in on her. He'd followed her. He'd been watching her all night. Katherine said that she had him wrapped around her finger but Bonnie hadn't been so sure. She had felt like an idiot earlier, she'd practically thrown herself at him and he'd pushed her aside.

Bonnie placed the blunt between her lips and watched as Klaus sat down on one of the lounges in front of the unlit fire pit. She walked from where she was standing and sat down next to him.

"You're very popular," he commented as she sat down.

"You're very drunk," Bonnie responded laughing. Klaus responded my gesturing towards the blunt in her hand. "You partake?" Bonnie grinned.

"I'm an artist," Klaus responded and Bonnie laughed but passed it over. Bonnie watched intently as he wet his lips. Watched him inhale. He was beautiful and she hated him for it. He was supposed to want her, not the other way around. "You are too," Klaus said on an exhale, "I thought I couldn't be more impressed with you after the way you spoke to Mikael. He hates me. I hate him but when he looked at you, andI could tell you'd bested him I could've fucked you right then and there in front of everyone."

Bonnie's eyes widened as she laughed. "You're _really_ drunk."

Klaus let out a puff of smoke and laughed. "I'm not that drunk." He turned to her fully, his whole body moving to face hers and Bonnie followed suit. "He's right. You have potential. So much potential. Your voice, it's…beautiful. You're beautiful and you had that whole room of people at your beck and call and you don't even know."

"Thank you." Bonnie took the blunt from his hand and took another hit. "But I know more than you think," she said, "I'm just not interested in them that's all."

"I wouldn't care if you were," Klaus said, his eyes no less intense even with smoke clouding Bonnie's view. "No one else can have you. Everyone wants a piece of my sweet girl but they can't have you."

Bonnie probably shouldn't have been so taken with the notion of being claimed by him but she was. Bonnie let Klaus take the joint from between her fingers. "I'm not sweet."

"You are to me." His tone was so sincere and Bonnie wanted so much to be sweet for him, to be sweet to him. She wanted to be worthy of the title, of the attention. But she wanted to keep control of the situation more.

"I'm not yours," Bonnie said turning away from him and looking up towards the night sky. She wanted to be. She wanted to know everything about him. She wanted to know about the nude women in the paintings in his studio. She wanted to know about the tattoo on his arm and if there were others that she could see underneath his clothes. She wanted to know his history with Mikael. She wanted to know why he liked to be called "Daddy". She wanted to know what his tongue felt like in other places. She wanted to know how it felt to be spanked and to have him inside of her.

"Aren't you," it wasn't really a question. He'd read it on her face, in her eyes perhaps. They stared at each other a moment and then he sighed. "I should've met you first."

Bonnie moved to stand. She should've felt more satisfaction at his words but instead she felt hollow. Because even if he would make her his, he was Abby's. Klaus caught her arm and Bonnie stood just the same.

She shook her arm out of his hold and listened to the music that wafted up from below them. She began to sing softly to herself, her hips swaying. Klaus wasn't going to be ignored. "You wanted me to make the next move," he said, and Bonnie's eyes found him again.

"Yes," she said. She felt like this would be it. Something had to happen. She was too gone for him in too short a time for something not to happen.

When he caught her arm again Bonnie allowed herself to be tugged forward and into his lap. "That's it," he coaxed, "Come to, Daddy."

Bonnie felt dizzy as she watched him take another inhale. He didn't exhale, instead his hands reached up and gripped the back of Bonnie's neck, strong and warm and he pulled her in. She followed until their foreheads pressed together, until their lips almost touched. When Klaus blew out Bonnie breathed in, the smoke hot and damp as it filled her lungs.

"Maybe I'm a little drunk," Klaus murmured and Bonnie laughed, titling her head to the side as she exhaled.

When Bonnie turned back to face him, he was leaning with his head against the couch, his eyes closed. Bonnie leaned toward him again and stopped just short of closing the distance between his lips and hers. "Maybe you're right, maybe this shouldn't happen."

Bonnie watched as his eyes opened slowly, as he gave her the exact reaction she wanted. "It's already happening." He closed the distance. Kissed her slow and long and easy, his tongue hot and wet as it slid past her lips and into her mouth. He kissed her until they heard footsteps coming up the stairs to the rooftop, until the door opened and they had to pull away. Until Bonnie put out the joint and the smoke between them had long evaporated into the air.

 _ **End Notes: Hope you lovely people are still enjoying this! August next chapter so college campus shenanigans. Also another interrogation coming up! Love you all. Thanks for reading. I am tired and going to bed!**_


	4. An Interruption: An Interrogation II

**Title:** Paint it Black

 **Rating:** M

 **Genre:** AU/All Human

 **Pairing(s):** Bonnie/Klaus, Klaus/Abby, Tyler/Jeremy, Damon/Emily, Matt/Caroline, Bonnie/Katherine (One-sided), Bonnie/Luka (One-sided), Stefan/Greta, Kol/Vicki, Katherine/Lucy, Marcel/Rebekah, Elijah/Celeste, Esther/Mikael, etc.

 **Summary:** After the death of her grandmother Bonnie Bennett starts on a downward spiral and is sent to live with her mother Abby Bennett-Mikaelson. When Bonnie witnesses firsthand the life of luxury her mother has been leading, she's hell-bent on making Abby's new life miserable and taking everything that her mother holds dear, starting with her new husband Niklaus Mikaelson.

 **Warning(s):** Sexual Content, Explicit Sexual Content, Infidelity, Extramarital Affairs, Drug Use, Character Death, Age Disparity, Daddy Kink, Attention Kink, Praise, Kink, etc.

Author's Note: This is an idea I came up with after receiving an ask on Tumblr. I don't know how well I am executing it so far but we shall see as it goes along.

 _ **Author's Note: Alright, folks here I am back from another hiatus. For this one I promised campus shenanigans but I had to backpedal a bit to get all the layers of this one into place. Plus, I wanted to slow the story pace down, just a tiny bit. Moving on. Times are chaotic at the moment but I am hoping positing updates can proved you with some escape and enjoyment! There is so much going on in the world right now so remember to take care of yourselves! Stay safe and well! Happy Reading!**_

 **An Interruption || An Interrogation II**

" _The truth is malleable; you just need to pick the right expert."_

— **Gillian Flynn,** _ **Gone Girl**_

 _ **Mystic Falls, Virginia**_

 _ **January, 2016**_

Matt Donovan hadn't been on the Mystic Falls police force for long. Still in that time, he had seen a little of everything. It was a small town, and so, usually the same cops got called in, no matter the case or disturbance. He had, however, never interrogated anyone a calm as Niklaus Mikaelson.

The man hadn't gotten the luxury of being interviewed in the Sheriff's office, as Bonnie often did. Still as he sat across from Matt in the interrogation room, he was completely and utterly composed.

"If we could handle this as quickly as possible," Klaus said, "I have a class today and Bonnie has a doctor's appointment. My sister volunteered to go with her in my absence, but I'd like to check in with her. It's still early in the pregnancy, the father, as you know, has been absentee, and I want to make sure that she and the baby are both healthy and well taken care of."

Matt smiled as he thought of Bonnie. He was lucky that he was meant to be the "good cop" or the change in expression might've made him lose face. He couldn't help it though; she was so strong and had been through so much and she was still going. He wanted to find whatever asshole that had knocked her up and abandon her and beat his ass. He suspected it was Luka Martin, but he was attending college overseas now and so he supposed that, if it was him, it couldn't be helped. It was funny how he'd left right before Abby disappeared, which was another smoking gun and the reason that Jonas Martin's calls and movements were being tracked.

But Bonnie wasn't alone, she had the town behind her, and she had Klaus and his family. The man had only been her stepfather on paper for a few months. In all honesty, they were more along the lines of friends it seemed to Matt, but he took care of her either way. That was what mattered. "It's good that she has people willing to look out for her and stick by her after everything," Matt said, "she's lost a lot of people recently."

Klaus nodded. "That she has. My wife's absence is weighing on her. She...the more we discover the more concerned she becomes. And you know the stress isn't good for the baby."

There, his composure slipped some. He looked concerned and Matt could see why. He didn't know the guy well, but he was going to bat for Bonnie and so for Matt he was already ions better than Abby in his book. He didn't see the point in treating the guy like a suspect. Likely, Abby had skipped town again and the more things were coming together, the more Matt believed it had been after a string of crimes that all led back to her.

"We haven't found any new leads," Matt sighed, "We mentioned before that we thought it a bit strange that Jamie was driving Mikael's car the night of his accident and then not long after Jamie passed away, Mikael died in the hunting accident. The timing is a bit off. If it turns out that Jamie's accident wasn't an accident and Mikael was the original intended target, that could be something that would make sense of both deaths. Do you know if your father had any enemies?"

Klaus shrugged. "Plenty," Klaus answered honestly, "He was a cutthroat businessman and a mean son of a bitch besides that." Matt watched the man smile almost wistfully as he remembered his father. "He took care of his family, however. Still, not everyone agreed with his methodology, me included. He's pissed off his fair share of people over the years. He could've been targeted by anyone. The timing of it all is a bit strange, though. In recent months, with the town renovations he'd been making more friends than enemies."

"True," Matt conceded, "Bonnie is in part to thank for that, so I've heard. Was there some jealousy there on Abby's part? Mikael had grown fond of Bonnie before passing, openly so. But he didn't share those feelings for her mother. In fact, when Jamie came to town, he advised you to end your marriage didn't he?"

Klaus frowned and Matt knew he had struck a chord. "He did, but who really gets along with their in-laws these days," Klaus said, clearly attempting to downplay the tension between his father and his missing wife, "If you're implying that Abby was one of Mikael's enemies, that's a strong word it. He didn't think her good enough for me. After the affair was outed, they butted heads a bit. They weren't fond of each other, but Abby wouldn't harm him for a few petty spats. She can be a bit confrontational so to speak but she isn't prone to violence."

"Maybe not," Matt said, "I don't mean to imply anything. But there was tension between the two at the time of his death. Hypothetically speaking, if she had been targeting Mikael and Jamie got caught in the crossfire, that grief could cause her to act out of character."

Klaus shook his head. "I know grief can be a monster all its own. But hypothetical or not, that doesn't make her capable of as untoward as-"

"You said she wasn't prone to violence," Matt said, cutting him off, "I'm not so sure about that. I just...I've been looking into things and I noticed a police report and an order of protection filed by a Miss Hayley Marshall, against Abby. Miss Marshall claimed that there had been a series of attacks on her that your wife was responsible for. I've asked around and it seems she's an ex-girlfriend of yours and that...there was trouble in your marriage once she got into town. There were a few public arguments that some have testified to. I mentioned it to Liz, and she believes you've been downplaying things. Trying to protect Abby's interest. Is this true?"

Klaus frowned. "I..," he sighed, "Abby became very paranoid after we arrived here. It got worse in the last few months before she disappeared. But I do believe it started with Hayley's arrival. Nothing ever happened between Hayley and I, but Abby made...accusations. Like I told you, she could be a bit confrontational at times. I wouldn't say this in front of Bonnie, she's such a sweet girl and Abby is still her mother after all. But...after finding out about Jonas, I believe that the accusations stemmed from Abby's own guilty conscience eating away at her. Their affair was confirmed by her son after all. In terms of any supposed attacks, I've never known Hayley to be a liar. But I never witnessed anything myself."

Matt raised an eyebrow. Even now the man was trying to protect Abby. Bonnie had been right about her mother's effect on men. He sighed. He might've been a little too close to the case, but he was sure that Abby was dangerous and if that were true, he needed to protect Bonnie and her baby. He needed to make sure they'd be safe if the woman resurfaced. Bonnie was his friend, and not just that his fiancé's best friend. Caroline would kill him if he let anything happen to Bonnie. He had to keep her safe. To do that, he would have to take Abby down. "Are you sure you've never witnessed something threatening or even just out of the ordinary? Anything could help."

Klaus drummed his nails on the tabletop. Hesitated. "There was an... incident. It was very early on in Hayley's arrival. She was sent to the hospital. But it was just an allergic reaction. Nothing more than that. Abby couldn't have been involved."

Matt recalled hearing about the incident, and the way Caroline and Liz each suspected Abby was involved even that far back. _I got her_ , Matt thought. "Was Abby aware of any of Hayley's allergies? I mean...was there something you mentioned, even in passing?"

Klaus shook his head. "I mean she hardly knew Hayley..." And then, his eyes widened as if realizing something. "Wait...there was one time it came up. When Hayley first showed up, Abby watched her like a hawk. She was paranoid, as I stated before. Sizing up the competition I supposed. There was none, but she couldn't be bothered to listen. Anyway, she noticed that Hayley carried an EpiPen. She asked about it. I told her. I didn't think anything of it at the time. But you couldn't possibly think..."

Matt cleared his throat, glanced at the cameras in the interrogation room. "We're still piecing things together," he said, "That's all I can really say at the moment." They would have to interview Hayley but if she confirmed the attacks, they could establish a pattern and history of violent behavior. Particularly toward individuals who could threaten Abby's marriage. It would give them a motive.

Klaus looked down at the table and frowned. "Is it wrong," he whispered, "To want to have faith in her?"

Matt shook his head. Poor sap. "Of course not," he said, "She's your wife. It'd be strange if you didn't...I know you want to protect her. _But_ you want to protect Bonnie, too right?"

Klaus looked up at him, eyes serious. "Of course."

The only reason they were hesitant to tie Abby to the deaths of both Mikael and her illegitimate son Jamie, was her lack of criminal history. The deaths had been suspicious from the beginning. Abby had been present in both cases either right before in Jamie's case or in Mikael's case, _during_ the incident that took his life. Her absence now, was a part of the growing number of strikes against her. Still, as of yet, the evidence was circumstantial. But if they could tie her to the attacks on Hayley, if it was more than the word of Klaus's ex-girlfriend then it could be the nail in the coffin. He just needed Klaus to let go of trying to protect Abby and give him what he needed. "The best way for you to do that right now is to tell the truth. Even if telling the truth means that you can't protect bothBonnie and Abby. Even if it means you have to choose _._ "

Klaus swallowed. "Even now, after everything. I love my wife."

"I understand that," Matt replied, "but I know you care about Bonnie. This whole town knows. She's found a home with you and your family. She's happy, grounded in a way that she hasn't ever been since I've known her, and I've known her all my life. Do you really think it would be good for her if Abby showed up again and uprooted that?"

"No." Klaus shook his head.

"So, we need you to tell us if you have any idea where she might be or if you have even the tiniest inkling that Abby could be a danger to the people around her." Matt placed his hands on the table and leaned forward. "If she's harmed other people before, who's to say she wouldn't be a danger to Bonnie and the baby."

Matt watched as Klaus gripped the table, his composure finally cracking. "You're right," he said, "Of course, you're right." He took a deep breath and then. "If I am being completely honest...Abby was extremely jealous from the moment Hayley arrived. She had multiple confrontations with me over her and with Hayley. Many of which were in public, so, I'm not the only one who can attest to them. I had hoped that I could reassure her over time, and we could go back to the way things were. Once I found out about Jamie, it got worse. She grew desperate. She was certain I would leave her. My father, wanted me to. I would've forgiven her anything, you see. But she went to a very dark place, somewhere I couldn't reach her. I... I don't want to believe the worst, you understand. I cannot believe the worst in her. If I do it means... I've lost Abby for good or perhaps...perhaps I never knew her to begin with. But I can't keep denying what is right in front of me. Not if it puts my family at risk. Not if it puts Bonnie and her child at risk. I'll... tell you whatever it is you need to know."

Matt smiled to himself and made sure to look at Klaus with empathy. "I know this is hard for you, but thank you for being honest."

"Bonnie always says that we are all experts in our own truths, and we should live by them, no matter how many outside forces try to change what we know to be true. That we shouldn't deny it. Even the truth that's ugly." Klaus said, "She would know I suppose. She's been through enough."

Matt nodded. "That, and she's always been smart."

Klaus smiled fondly and Matt knew he'd found the weak spot he needed to press to get Klaus to help in bringing Abby in. "Yes," Klaus said, "Bonnie is a very clever girl."


	5. Three: Fangs

**Title:** Paint it Black

 **Rating:** M

 **Genre:** AU/All Human

 **Pairing(s):** Bonnie/Klaus, Klaus/Abby, Tyler/Jeremy, Damon/Emily, Matt/Caroline, Bonnie/Katherine (One-sided), Bonnie/Luka (One-sided), Stefan/Greta, Kol/Vicki, Katherine/Lucy, Marcel/Rebekah, Elijah/Celeste, Esther/Mikael, etc.

 **Summary:** After the death of her grandmother Bonnie Bennett starts on a downward spiral and is sent to live with her mother Abby Bennett-Mikaelson. When Bonnie witnesses firsthand the life of luxury her mother has been leading, she's hell-bent on making Abby's new life miserable and taking everything that her mother holds dear, starting with her new husband Niklaus Mikaelson.

 **Warning(s):** Sexual Content, Explicit Sexual Content, Infidelity, Extramarital Affairs, Drug Use, Character Death, Age Disparity, Daddy Kink, Attention Kink, Praise, Kink, etc.

Author's Note: This is an idea I came up with after receiving an ask on Tumblr. I don't know how well I am executing it so far but we shall see as it goes along.

 **Three || Fangs**

" _She shouldn't be allowed to walk around. She might hurt someone."_

― **Janet Fitch,** _ **Paint it Black**_

 _ **Mystic Falls, Virginia**_

 _ **July, 2015**_

Bonnie put out the joint and turned towards Rebekah as the girl walked further out onto the rooftop lounge her eyes knowing as she glanced between Bonnie and her brother. "Your wife is looking for you," she told Klaus. Bonnie winced.

She didn't need the reminder. She was his, he had said. _And he's Abby's_ , her mind answered.

The space that Klaus had placed in between them at the sound of footsteps disappeared again, as he moved closer to Bonnie once he saw it had been his sister. Bonnie's own suspicions grew as she felt Klaus wrapped his arms around her from behind.

He was comfortable. Too comfortable. Especially, for someone who had been so hellbent on resisting her. Bonnie thought about Rebekah's veiled statements from before as Klaus rested his chin on her shoulder and Rebekah watched the movement unfazed. She thought about Celeste's warnings. It was clear now to Bonnie, that Rebekah had sniffed out Klaus's interest in her all along. That she had been expecting this moment. Had been trying to steer Bonnie toward it. She wasn't surprised. Klaus clearly wasn't either.

What Bonnie wondered, was if Klaus had put Rebekah up to her behavior or if she had been acting in her brother's interest of her own accord. If hatred for Abby was her sole motivator, or if she saw something in Bonnie that made her believe that she would be a better fit at Klaus's side. If Klaus had discussed Bonnie with Rebekah behind Bonnie's back or if he'd simply guessed at Rebekah's motives and actions after Bonnie had told him what the girl had said about Bonnie being his type. If her meddling was something he was used to, something he expected. No matter how comfortable and trusting of his sister that Klaus, Bonnie didn't think she would be comfortable around either until she figured out the answers.

They liked to play with people, she'd been told. Maybe this, maybe she and Abby were a part of the game. Whatever the case, Bonnie would do what she needed to stay ahead of it.

"Any particular reason?" Klaus asked. "Abby seemed to be preoccupied with Jonas last I left her. I figured I would be the last thing on her mind."

"You left your phone downstairs at the table," Rebekah said, "It kept going off. Call after call, after call, as your darling bride put it."

"Your point?" Klaus's tone was casual in his drunkenness.

Bonnie figured he might've been more careful otherwise. Or perhaps not, Rebekah was the one he counted on being in his corner no matter what, after all. The sibling he was closest too. His confidant. For all Bonnie knew, this was all by design. They were game players, the whole lot of them. No matter how interested in Klaus she was, Bonnie couldn't forget that.

"As adamant as you were about us accepting Abby from the beginning you seem to be a bit unconcerned at the moment," Rebekah smirked, "Could be the alcohol... or something else causing a change in your priorities, I suppose." Rebekah looked between them and Bonnie stayed quiet, calm. The girl was looking for a reaction and Bonnie would be damned if she gave her one. "Not that Abby was particularly concerned about where you were until those pesky calls from a New Orleans number kept coming in. Isn't Hayley still there?"

Bonnie felt Klaus stiffen behind her. It would seem, that Rebekah had gotten the reaction that she wanted, just not from Bonnie. "Why the fuck is she calling me?" Klaus snapped.

Rebekah shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Though, we can both approximate without much effort the reason I'm sure. Abby has a few guesses of her own in fact. Let's just say, you're lucky that _I_ am the one that found you."

Klaus sighed, and let out a string of curses.

Bonnie didn't know who the hell Hayley was, but his reaction was telling. And if there was any truth about what Rebekah said of Abby's reaction, that was telling as well.

Klaus huffed out a breath. His hands found her hips and Bonnie complied as he turned her to face him. She kept her expression blank, her mask firmly in place. "I have to take care of this," he said. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. He whispered into her ear as he pulled away. "We're not done here. No more games."

She wanted to believe his words. Wanted to find hope in the fact that he was being so openly affectionate with her in front of someone he trusted. That he was making his intentions known. But she couldn't. There was no security in any of this, she realized. Not yet.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?" She murmured lowly, for only him to hear.

"I promise," Klaus whispered. People had made promises and broken then before. He would have hard sell. "Daddy, just needs for you to trust me."

He knew what he was asking. They were too alike for him not know the weight of it. She didn't like this. She had questions. She was vulnerable, in a position to get hurt. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. "Okay." She conceded.

He put two fingers beneath her chin, tilted her head up to look at him more fully. " _Okay_?" He pressed.

Bonnie knew the answer he was looking for. "Yes, Daddy." She said, her voice sounding surer than she felt. Bonnie gave a stiff nod to punctuate the point, even knowing that, whether or not they were over depended on Rebekah's answer to the questions she would ask as soon as Klaus was out of earshot. She saw the look on his face and knew that his attention was now divided. He looked troubled. Uncertain. Raw. Whoever this Hayley bitch was, and whatever had happened between them, it was clear it still had some sort of effect on him.

"Good girl." He said. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before stepping away from her. His hands and his eyes were slow to leave her.

Bonnie watched as Klaus left the rooftop, closing the door behind him. She licked her lips, tasted the smoke and bourbon that Klaus had drank on her tongue. She turned back towards Rebekah.

"You two seem to be getting closer and closer by the day," Rebekah said, amusement clear in her tone, "I wish that I could say that I'm surprised."

Bonnie decided to stop playing dumb where the blonde was concerned. She doubted she would maintain any respect if she did. "With all of the seeds that you've been planting, if you said that you were surprised, I wouldn't believe it."

"And I almost thought that you didn't notice," Rebekah laughed, "Marcel said you were smarter than you let on."

Bonnie shrugged. "Celeste said that you were more cunning than _you_ let on," she said, "Implying that I'm Klaus's type. Asking me questions about _my_ type. What exactly is in this for you and how much do you already know?"

"If you're worried about me opening my mouth and blowing your cover, don't be," Rebekah's tone was somewhere between serious and placating, "Not that the two of you are very subtle to someone who is paying attention. I figured if Nik hadn't made a move already, he would soon. I also figured you'd be open to it, despite your protests. They were weak at best. We were feeling each other out, you and me. I respect you even more for playing your cards close. I couldn't tell at first if you were bait Abby planted or if you were genuinely interested in him. I was protecting Nik's interest. It didn't take long to see that your interest in him is very genuine. You two barely take your eyes off each other when you're in close proximity. _And_ when you're not. Mutual fascination, you called it?"

Bonnie wasn't worried about Rebekah telling anyone if the girl knew that Bonnie's interest in her brother was genuine. Klaus hadn't looked like he was either. She might've if she had mistaken her for a plant by way of Abby. But it would only hurt Klaus if Rebekah told anyone, now that she knew the interest was mutual. Bonnie doubted very much that this would be the first secret Rebekah had kept for her brother. She doubted even more that it would be her last.

"I'm not working with Abby," Bonnie said, all the same, "Abby isn't smart enough to plant anyone in Klaus's path, nor would she risk having competition for his affections. But she's also not dumb enough to believe I would align myself with her for any reason. I'd sooner see her laid up in a ditch somewhere. Which would make her even stupider to trust me enough to purposefully put me in her husband's path and risk losing all she's gained. Like I said, she's dumb but not _that_ dumb."

Rebekah laughed. "I really do like you," she said, "I agree, your mother isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. While she's a duplicitous bitch, she's not cunning enough to use you to her full advantage or manipulative enough to get you to agree to help her even with your obvious disdain for her. She's cocky though, without having reason to be. It'll be her downfall, I'm sure. If you don't get in her way, then Hayley will. If I had to choose myself between the three of you, however, I'd say I'm firmly team Bonnie."

Bonnie wasn't sure that she believed that, but it was a start at the very least. "Who's Hayley?" Bonnie asked, finally.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "No one you need to worry your pretty little head over," she frowned, "A nuisance more so than competition. If I'm being honest, right now you don't have any real competition. Nik knows what he wants the moment he sees it, and I know how to read him. You had him the moment you stepped up to that podium the day of the funeral. While Abby may be bothersome now, neither she nor Hayley will be of any note in the long run. Though, if Hayley's calling, I wouldn't put it past her to pop up in town. She's just some bitch who had Nik all twisted in knots right before Abby got her claws into him. That's why he was so vulnerable. He thought that what he had with Hayley was something that it wasn't. She was good at making him believe it for a time. She was only different than the others that he simply got bored with or couldn't tame in the sense that she was the one to leave him, and not the other way around. He would've tossed her aside eventually once he accepted her true nature, but she managed to have more of a hold on him than the ones he just liked the play with-"

Bonnie swallowed. "You mean the ones like me?" Bonnie felt threatened for the first time since her plan to get Klaus started. If the girl had left Klaus, that meant that she had been the one to end it. It meant that she possibly still had an opening, no matter what Rebekah said. Bonnie shook her head. "You rich people, and your playthings. I should've known. Is this fun for you, too? Does the fact that he's fucking my mother make it even more high stakes with me or something? Do you all have some sort of bet about how long I'll take to give in? How long it'll be before he tosses me aside after I do?"

Rebekah frowned and moved to touch Bonnie's arm. "Don't be daft," she said, "We like you. I like you. _Genuinely._ Not just because I detest your mother and her toxic relationship with my brother. You'd be good for him. You'd be good for one another. I believe that. I've been watching you. You already are. He's not ashamed with you. He's bold. It scares him, I think. But he deserves to be with someone who doesn't make him feel like he must hide who he is or run from it. I'd venture to guess that Nik is half in love with you already. He wouldn't risk getting physical with you at all for anything less than that. Especially not in front of me, this early. Not unless he was serious. You're not like the other girls. You're damn sure not like, Hayley. She may have had his head when they were together but after she left all she had was his hatred. He'd never got back to her now. She left a deep wound behind. You know about wounds more than anyone, so you should understand."

"I do. So, I know that no one can hurt you that deeply unless you really cared about them in the first place," Bonnie said. True connections had been in short supply in her life, but she knew that much of it. "Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead. Save myself from getting hurt later."

She was scared, because she knew in that moment that Klaus had the ability to hurt her. And that meant that she truly cared about him. But apparently Hayley was the one who had the ability to hurt Klaus, whoever the fuck she was. She was back in the picture now and Bonnie wasn't sure she wanted to deal with another woman vying for his attention. She had enough to deal with trying to seduce Klaus behind Abby's back. Her main goal was to make her mother suffer. Klaus was becoming more of a distraction to that than a tool that could help her to accomplish it. She wanted him, yes. But she was tired to being left behind by everyone she cared about and if that was even a slight possibility, she told herself that she would have to walk away.

"If you can get hurt that means you care about him as well," Rebekah said, "You practically said it yourself. Why give up now? Do you really think you can turn back now? That he'll let you walk away now that you're starting to cross the line?"

"He had no trouble walking away just now," Bonnie muttered, "And after we..." She frowned and shook her head. "I have to go."

She began to walk around Rebekah and the girl caught her wrist. "If you want him, if you _truly_ want him, then I hope you find that you change your mind, Bonnie," she said, "But if you don't, then walk away. I'd rather you do that than hurt him down the road. I'd have to kill you if you did purposefully. But...if I'm right, and I think I am, then if you walk away now, Nik won't be the only one hurt. Think about it."

Bonnie wasn't sure she wanted to get sucked in deeper than she already was. She shook out of Rebekah's hold and made a beeline for the door to the stairs. Rebekah had likely gotten the reaction she wanted out of Bonnie too. She walked through the door and slammed it behind her.

As soon as Bonnie left the rooftop, she found Katherine still on the bottom floor in the speakeasy lounge. She grabbed Katherine's hand and dragged her behind the bar and into the "Employees Only" backroom. The other girl sat down on the old leather sofa that Damon had had since college. She watched Bonnie pace back and forth as she told Katherine what happened.

Kathrine look unbothered as she picked at one of the band stickers stuck to the arm of the couch. "I don't know what you're so worked up about," Katherine said, "So, some bitch he used to fuck called him a few times. Who cares? If you remember, _you_ used to fuck Luka and he's here. No one gives a shit about _that._ Also, half the town wants to fuck you, myself included and you don't see Klaus freaking out. I thought you'd be more concerned about his sister catching you."

Bonnie frowned. "No one cares about me being around Luka because I'm the one that ended things. We both know if I wanted to still be with Luka, I could snap my fingers and it'd happen just like that. It's not the same with Hayley. _She's_ the one that left Klaus. If this Hayley girl is calling, it's for a reason. Rebekah thinks she might pop up in town."

"I kind of hope she does," Katherine said, and as Bonnie moved to object, Katherine continued, "Just hear me out. You've wanted to know about his history and maybe here's a chance to. Klaus isn't threatened by other people's attention on you so why should you be. I mean you have men and women falling all over you all the time. Tonight, Klaus saw it firsthand. If anything, it led to Klaus making a move. It's a good thing. Even if you're not that jealous, you can play it up if she shows up. He'll probably get off on it. This kind of makes things more fun, because let's face it, Abby is not really competition at all. Now things will be interesting."

Bonnie sighed, plopping down on the sofa next to Katherine. "You didn't see his face when Rebekah told him," Bonnie frowned, "You didn't hear what she said about their relationship. I felt like...all of my progress went out the window. And I just...I've been so careful. I've been playing my hand close where Klaus is concerned. I've been making sure not to make moves unless we're alone. But I practically threw myself at him more than once even still and he resisted. Then I put the ball in his court and he finally made a move. He kissed me and I felt like we were getting somewhere. But then, the minute Rebekah mentioned someone else he walked off and I just got so...fucking insecure that I laid all my cards out on the table in front of her."

"She was probably trying to get a rise out of you. Gage your feelings for her brother. Admittedly it might cause problems later." Katherine shrugged. "But I am pretty sure you're blowing this way out of proportion. I mean, if he wanted to be with this Hayley chick, then he would be. His sister said it herself, he goes after what he wants. If he wanted her, when she left, he would've chased. He wouldn't have been so easy for Abby to get her claws into if he had been serous about what's her name. You said that Rebekah said that, after Hayley tossed him aside, she's didn't mean any more to him than one of those bitches he got bored with and threw away. Doesn't matter what their connection was before. He'd have to be batshit crazy to pick her back up with _you_ as an option."

Bonnie wanted to believe Katherine's words, but she was beginning to feel her not so old insecurities surface. She and Klaus had kissed, yes. But this girl had a history with him, she knew what made him tick. She was likely beautiful. Klaus had a type after all. Young. Pretty. Malleable. She had probably gone places with Klaus that Bonnie hadn't gone yet. "What happens when he gets bored with me?"

Katherine took her hand and squeezed it. "He won't," she said, "You're _you_. You're like the manic sexy pixy dream girl of everyone's darkest fantasies. And if he does...then I will happily step in, and be your shoulder to cry on, and your face to sit on."

Bonnie laughed, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."

Katherine studied her a moment, her eyes searching. "This isn't just about the plan for you anymore, is it?" Katherine said, seriously. "This isn't about revenge or Abby. You want him, don't you?"

Bonnie hesitated, only because she knew how Katherine felt about her. Despite Katherine's cold exterior, and despite the jokes, her interest in Bonnie was genuine. Bonnie didn't want to hurt her. Katherine had helped her through a lot. But she didn't want to lie to her either. "I do."

"Well shit," Katherine said, half-joking, "There goes my chance." She sighed, and then turned her body towards Bonnie. "I'm going to help you get him," she said, "Because if anyone deserves to get whatever the fuck they want, no matter who they have to shit on and screw over in the process to get it, it's you. But I'm _telling_ you, he'd have to be batshit crazy not to want you." She cleared her throat. "Here's what you do. Use this Hayley bitch's trying to make contact to your advantage. Rebekah already mentioned it to Abby and I'm willing to bet it's to your benefit. The bitch pops up then all the better. If Abby is worried about him fucking Hayley, she won't be worried about _you_ fucking him. You'll be off her radar in that respect. Klaus's sister knows he wants you. She also hates Abby and she likes you. She told you what you need to know. She's likely waiting to see what you are going to do with the information. They like to play with people, right?"

Bonnie nodded. "So, she's probably trying to see if I can play the game. See what I can do with a little competition. See if I'm serious about her brother or not." Rebekah was just getting to know her. Of course, she'd want to get a read on her. None of them trusted Abby and Abby had been proven to be flaky and manipulative in the past. This was likely some kind of test to see if Bonnie was all in.

She knew how her mother would react to a threat. Play the victim. Maybe try to appease Klaus into paying attention to her again, so that she could keep him in line, if she could tear her eyes away from Jonas long enough to do so. Bonnie had to be smarter. She wasn't playing to take advantage of Klaus while she could, the way Abby was. She just wanted him, plain and simple. When it came to Klaus, she was playing for keeps.

Katherine smiled. "Exactly. And don't get so caught up on seeking Klaus' approval, you have it already. It's the other family members you have to worry about. Even if Klaus doesn't get bored with you, you have to make sure his family doesn't see you as disposable or once you get rid of Abby, you'll be in the same boat she's in. You need to bring it home that you're the better option. That you're not just more preferable to Abby personality wise, but you'll be more useful to them. That you have more value. It won't be hard. The only selling point Abby has right now is her connections in town and they're nothing compared to your connections. She has no job and next to no friends and no marketable talents or skills. You on the other hand, have a lot more to offer. Use it."

"I have that taken care of," Bonnie said, "I suggested to Esther that we plan a dinner with the Council family members soon, to get their approval for Mikael's renovation project and their help planning a fundraiser. I'll make sure to use the information I know to get on her good side and Mikael's already impressed with me. Kol is easy. Rebekah wants my friendship so she's not a hard sale. I think I can handle Elijah but, Finn is a bit hard to read. Abby mentioned inviting Isobel to the dinner. I'm guessing to have a friend there and get her insight, because she's also used to manipulating men. If Isobel is helping her, she might not be that easy to underestimate."

Katherine laughed. "Oh, don't worry about my Mommy Dearest," she said, "Isobel and I are two sides of the same coin, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. But I'm better than she is, and I know how to sway her. She's opportunistic, so she'll be on your side as soon as she realizes it's the clear winning side and she has more to gain. Besides that, since my doe eyed little twin hates her, I'm the only daughter who talks to her. She likes being on _my_ good side too. I can probably even use her to get information on whatever plot Abby is cooking up. There's something else you're going to need to do though."

Bonnie knew the answer before Katherine even suggested it. "When you said use Hayley to my advantage you meant with Klaus, too, right?"

Katherine smirked. "My baby," she said, pinching Bonnie's cheek, "All grown up and scheming all by herself."

Bonnie rolled her eyes but grinned. "So, what? I make sure it's not a secret the idea of her showing up here bothers me. See how he reacts. If he's more interested in me than her, see how far I can get him to go to appease me where she's concerned?"

"Exactly," Katherine said, "I mean, eventually you're going to need him to agree throw Abby out on her ass. If you want him, she needs to be out of the picture and with any luck she'll suffer first. You're going to need to make sure that a) he and his family are not above doing anything underhanded. Which I honestly don't think we have to worry about. And b) he's willing to go to bat for you. That he's willing to do _anything_. That you're not just going to be in the same position as Abby when the next bitch comes along who shows him interest and calls him, 'Daddy'. Let's say Hayley shows up or makes contact again. If he's willing to get rid of or break contact with Hayley, who he seems to have a much longer and more established history with than Abby, to placate you and you're not even _fucking_ yet, it's not going to be a stretch when Abby is next. Especially after you give him some pussy."

"Do you have to be so vulgar about everything?" Bonnie asked. In her mind Bonnie thought that it wouldn't just mean that he'd be willing to get rid of Abby, but that Bonnie would have power over him. More power than Abby or Hayley or any other girl who batted her eyes in his direction. It would mean feeling _secure_. She needed that.

"Yes," Katherine nodded, "Of course, I do. And you love it, so shut the hell up."

Bonnie gave Katherine a playful shove, even as her mind continued to mull everything over. Trust Katherine to put things into perspective and make her feel better.

Bonnie wasn't sure how far Klaus would be willing to go for her. Not yet. Things were too new. They were still, even with the intensity of their attraction to one another, in many ways, strangers. She just knew that she wanted to be, absolutely sure that she didn't have anything to worry about before she gave herself to him completely.

It was one thing to know that he had had a history with younger women in theory, it was another to have one show up and pursue him. She needed to make sure that Klaus was also in it for keeps where Bonnie was concerned. If that meant placing a target on this Hayley's back if she decided to pop up in Mystic Falls, then so be it.

 **:::**

When her sister-in-law interrupted her conversation with Jonas to tell her that Klaus had left his phone with her and he kept getting calls, Abby had been beyond annoyed. However, when she saw that the calls were from her husband's ex-lover, Hayley Marshall, that he'd left way down in Louisiana, Abby knew that the interruption had been intentional.

It was no secret that Rebekah didn't like her. She was also, so unbelievably attached to and protective of Klaus, that Abby had to isolate him from her at the start of her relationship with Klaus to even get her hooks in him. In all likelihood, Rebekah was the reason that Hayley knew where they were in the first place. Still Abby had taken the bait because Hayley's presence made her worry. Not just regarding Klaus, but also regarding the perception of her marriage from the outside.

The whole point of her returning was for her to look like a good wife and mother. She couldn't do that if her daughter hated her and her husband had a wandering eye. She hadn't taken Klaus eyeing Bonnie all that seriously as she doubted, he would act on or Bonnie would be interested if he did. Besides that, if the improbable occurred and Klaus decided to go after her daughter, Abby would be the one smelling like roses when or if the town found out. She'd look like the mother that had offered her daughter a better life and only received betrayal in return. She could play the victim and cash in on the adultery clause in her prenup. Even if the worst occurred, which it wouldn't, Abby could spin it in her favor.

However, with Hayley, there was potential for things to take a turn. Especially if Abby continued to sniff around Jonas. She was sure that Hayley was a threat. Not only did Hayley have a past with Klaus, but she was more befitting of her husband's tastes. She was one of the exes that Klaus had told her about. She had been the one to leave Klaus, not the other way around. To Abby that was a red flag. It meant that there was a chance that Klaus was still vulnerable to her. Abby couldn't have that. She needed to be able to keep him reigned in and wrapped around her finger while she got what she needed and what she wanted. She couldn't lose face this early in the game.

And so, she cornered Klaus as soon as he made his way back to the lower level of the bar. She wanted to go home, and have the confrontation she knew was coming there, but Klaus insisted on finding his sister and her boyfriend first.

They sat at the bar and Abby became even more irritated as Klaus ordered another drink from Emily. "I want to know why she's calling you, Klaus," she said, "If you insist on having this conversation here then I want answers."

"I told you already, I don't know. I don't even know how she got my fucking number. I changed it after she left." He rolled his eyes as Emily placed glass full of bourbon in front of him. "I'm not the one insisting on having this conversation here," he said, "In fact, I recall saying that I'm not sober enough for it. That we should wait. It's you that is determined to embarrass yourself."

"Excuse me?" Abby frowned. He was never that flippant with her, not even when he was drunk. If she showed the slightest form of displeasure, he rushed to appease her.

That was the only good thing about his whole 'Daddy' dominant kink obsession, it made him devoted to a fault, a natural caregiver of sorts. If he was a bit obsessive about it, it was all the better. He had never gotten as bad with her as she'd heard his siblings say that he had been with others, however. She wasn't sure anymore if that was a good thing, as her hold on him was faltering.

Klaus took a sip of his drink. "You heard me," he said, "If you're so determined to have this conversation here and you want to talk about exes...then perhaps Jonas is worth mentioning seeing as you've been all over him tonight. You were practically in his fucking lap while I was sitting at the same table."

So, he _had_ noticed. Abby's mouth pinched into a thin line as she glanced around her and saw Emily and Damon's eyes on them. "You're turning this around on me? You're the one who disappeared for a half hour and suddenly you're getting phone calls from that tramp Hayley-" Abby spat.

"I'm sorry," Klaus laughed, "Does my pointing out your hypocrisy interfere with you playing the victim? Perhaps, I disappeared because I thought that you and Jonas wanted some alone time. Would you have rather me cause a scene like you're so hellbent on doing right now, or go and get some air while your finish 'catching up' with your dear old beau," he put air quotes around "catching up" and Abby frowned as she heard someone snicker nearby, "Never mind, that fact that this is your daughter's place of business. As if you haven't taken enough from her already, now you insist on making a scene _here_ of all places. You're doing a bang-up job at reconnecting with her. Really, I applaud you. I dub you mother of the _fucking_ year."

" _Klaus_ ," Abby hissed, her tone warning. He was making her lose face and she couldn't let continue.

"You know what," Klaus sighed, downing the rest of his glass, "Since this is less of a conversation and more a collection of veiled and outright bullshit accusations against me while you take no accountability for your actions, I'm going to save you the trouble and me the headache since my buzz is apparently permanently gone between you and Hayley, and give you what you _really_ want." He dug out his wallet, pulled out his credit card and, put it on the bar top. "There you are," he grinned, as he slid it over to her, "Happy now?"

Abby blinked. "Wow," Abby shook her head, "Seriously?" She wasn't sure how to recover from that now that they had an audience. Other patrons had joined in or Emily and Damon gawking at them. He had never been so blatant about money being the only means to appease her. It was something that remained unspoken so long as she gave in to his base desires. She was losing control and fast. All because that bitch Hayley had resurfaced. "Listen," she said, her tone softening, "We've both been drinking. We're saying things we don't mean"

Klaus leaned forward so that only she could hear him. "It's too late to save face now. You're very predictable, you know. I'm _bored_ with this conversation. You know what happens to things that bore me, Abigail?" he whispered, before pulling back, his eyes narrowed. Abby did know, she knew all too well. It was the reason she was so keen to give in to his appetites in the bedroom.

The night that they met was the same night he'd thrown one of his toys away. Camille her name had been. She was blonde and plucky, kind and caring. But she'd also been judgmental and impulsive at times in a way that made Klaus irritable. Abby had come upon them arguing at the bar where Camille worked. When the blonde had stormed off, Abby had taken it as her opening. Going to sit down beside him.

"Trouble in paradise?" She'd asked.

Klaus had looked her up and down and grinned. She'd known she had him even before he spoke. "Something like that," he'd said, "She was all for getting spanked but now she's gone back to school. Studying psychology. Trying to psychoanalyze me. _Disturbed_ by my urges. Boring as shit. I hate being bored." He'd looked at Abby as if he were undressing her with his eyes back then. "You look like you could be more interesting."

Abby had shrugged, noted the expensive custom watch on his wrist and thought of him as an easy target. "I don't know about all that," she'd said, "But I _do_ like to get spanked." She'd been working overtime to keep his interest ever since.

She'd managed it for a while. Wrapped him around her finger. Slowly but surely manipulated her way into gaining control. However, she knew all too well that as hard as it was to gain, that control could very easily slip through her fingers. Her husband was rich yes, but also volatile. Had to take the bad with the good, as her mother always said. She'd gotten too comfortable. Things had been going too well as of late. She'd forgotten to stay on her guard.

Now, Abby placed a hand on Klaus's shoulder. "Klaus," Abby frowned, her tone placating, "I didn't mean anything by it. I just love you so much. I don't want to lose you. You know that. Let's talk about this...we could..."

Klaus cut her off easily. "Find your own way home."

He stood and a moment later Marcel was there helping him off the bar stool and Elijah was swiping his credit card off the bar top as if they had been watching the exchange the entire time and waiting for some sort of cue.

"You understand if I take his card back given the circumstances," Elijah said, his voice and demeanor ever polite, "Enjoy the rest of the evening. Give our regards to your high school sweetheart."

As they left Abby stared at her hands. She looked like the bad guy now. If Klaus had noticed her attentions towards Jonas, who knew who else had. And even if Klaus' behavior was questionable, now it looked like an understandable response to her own. He was right, it was too late to save face.

Her first thought was to ask Jonas for a ride home, but that would make the situation look worse, make _her_ look worse. If she was going to pursue Jonas, she had to be more careful. Sighing, she took out her cell phone and called the one person she knew would come and get her. Isobel Flemming.

 **:::**

Rebekah Mikaelson sighed as she looked at her elder brother laid out on the couch in his studio. Marcel was sitting in a chair across from him. Rebekah stood just out of Klaus' line of sight. There were some things she knew that would be easier for Marcel to address with him. He was too protective of her to bare certain aspects of himself outright. But once Marcel got him talking, that and his drunken state would keep up the dialogue whether Rebekah showed herself or not.

"Things were so perfect and then they went to shit," Klaus sighed.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. Marcel cleared his throat. Of course, he said what she was thinking. "I hate to break it to you, man...but things with you and Abigail were never perfect."

Klaus huffed and barked out a laugh. "Not with fucking, Abby. I'm not that delusional or that drunk."

Marcel raised an eyebrow and glanced at Rebekah over his shoulder. "Then with who? And please for the love of God don't be talking about Hayley."

"Fuck Hayley," Klaus spat, "She's still ruining my life three fucking years later." He ran a hand over his face. "I mean...with Bonnie."

Rebekah felt vindicated as Marcel smirked. While her brother's interest in Bonnie had been rather obvious to them all, she wasn't sure that he would act on it so soon, if at all. She was also unsure as to whether it was reciprocated, until she'd caught them together.

"So, something happened between you two?" Marcel asked.

Klaus stared. "You don't sound surprised."

This time Marcel rolled his eyes. "I'm not." He leaned back in his chair. "I know how you operate. So does your family. We were _more_ surprised when you brought Abby home, but you know that. Bonnie on the other hand, is more your type. Besides that, she seems to get off on your attention if the way you two stare each other down every five seconds is any indication."

"You don't need to worry yourself about what Bonnie gets off on," Klaus frowned.

"You know what I mean," Marcel huffed, "Also, it's very telling that you're getting possessive already. What happened?"

Klaus stared up at the ceiling. "I kissed her," he said, "She let me kiss her and it was...perfect. She's perfect."

Rebekah walked forward before Marcel could reply. "Then admit what we all know," she said, as she situated herself in Marcel's lap, "You've been panting after her like a dog in heat since she got here. When you weren't avoiding her to hide what we all know. You know we all want you to be happy. No one more than me and Marcel. If you want her, we'll help you. But you have to admit it."

Rebekah had given Bonnie hints of Nik's interest and laid the groundwork for him, for a reason. She knew her brother and she was tired of sitting around and letting Abby take advantage of him. If there was a chance that he could find what he was looking for then she would do everything in her power to make sure he got it, even if it was with his wife's daughter.

"It doesn't matter now," Klaus said, "Hayley could pop up any moment and I just handed Abby her ass in front of an audience. I'm not looking too great as a relationship prospect now."

Rebekah frowned. " _Oh please_ , Bonnie hates Abby. She'll probably be amused when she finds out what you did at the bar. Besides, with eyes on her Abby is going to work overtime to et back in your favor. She'll be too busy worrying about Hayley and keeping up appearances to gve you and Bonnie a second thought. It's the perfect time to strike. As for Hayley..." She'd told Bonnie that Klaus had a type. She doubted the girl would be judgmental when it came to something like that. Not unless... "When I told you that she called, did you feel anything?"

Klaus looked at her, his expression deadpan. "You mean, besides contempt and the urge to kill? No."

Rebekah smiled. She was relieved Hayley didn't have any pull over him any longer. She hadn't thought the girl would, but her brother had the habit of choosing the wrong women. Hayley had served her purpose; she'd pissed Abby off. And like Rebekah had hoped, with Bonnie in the picture, the girl's effect on Klaus was nonexistent. "I don't regret calling her then," she said.

That got his attention. Klaus sat up and glared. "You what?!"

Rebekah stared at him, unbothered. "I was trying to prove a point," she said, "The first being that Abby wasn't what you wanted. I called her before I met Bonnie, hoping hearing from her would unhinge something in your brain. Get you out of Abby's orbit. Not that I want you going back to Hayley. _Ever_. But...I wanted you to realize that it was never your desires that you should have been ashamed of. You just must be carefulof _who_ you express them with. Hayley was the wrong person and so is Abby. But Bonnie...she's different, isn't she?"

A nod. "She's not afraid of me," Klaus said, "She doesn't judge me. She embraces it. She could need me. I'd be good to her. I could take care of her. She has so much potential."

Rebekah could read between the lines. She could hear what Klaus had left unsaid. As much shame as his desires brought Klaus, it wasn't really anything to be all that embarrassed about. What most people didn't realize about men like Klaus was, it wasn't just about the discipline or the control when it came to dominating. What Klaus enjoyed most was the idea of being everything to someone. Protector. Confidant. Anchor. Companion. Guide. Lover. To be that essential. That _needed_. He craved it more than anything because he had been discarded by so many people his whole life.

Bonnie needed all those things. She was neglected and vulnerable. But she was strong and like Klaus said, she had potential. More importantly, she wouldn't just take from Klaus the way that women did in the past. She was a giver, and she was loyal. They hadn't known her long, but she had been the one to care for her ailing grandmother after all. And she had taken on the task of making sure Klaus was eating when he spent hours or days in the studio. She was appreciative of the things he did for her. Already receptive towards his affections and attentions in ways that others hadn't been. It was something that Klaus deserved after everything they had been through.

"Which brings me to the second reason that I encouraged Hayley to call, even after getting to know Bonnie," she said, "If Abby is worried about you and Hayley, she won't be looking at you and Bonnie."

Nik's eyes narrowed. "So, that was the plan. Not a bad one. I wish you had told me. I could've warned Bonnie."

"You've barely just admitted to being interested in her," Rebekah sighed, "You probably would have told me to stay out of it. I won't. Besides I wanted to see how she reacted. There was no point in pushing this if she didn't want you. It was a test of sorts. She passed. She's jealous. I talked to her tonight. I've noticed her interest in you for a while now, but I wasn't sure how serious she was. I've been making remarks, comments. She hadn't taken the bait before, but after tonight. Bonnie...she was vulnerable. She doesn't want to be a game to you. To any of us. But _especially_ to you. I don't think you want her to be either. Like I said, if you want Bonnie, we'll help you. All you have to do is say the word. I talked it over with Elijah. He agrees. Kol won't need convincing, though he'll be annoyed he can't fuck her now that you're after her. As if he had a chance. Elijah will handle Finn if he becomes a problem."

"So, you've been talking about me behind my back," Klaus said. He had done his own share of the same and so she doubted he was all that offended about it. "And _your_ thoughts, Marcel?"

"If it's what you want, if _she's_ what you want then we're with you," he said, "It's not as if you haven't done the same for all of us in the past. And if things go pear-shaped, we'll take care of it. We always do."

Rebekah thought back to the times Klaus had come through for them all. The times he had been the monster they couldn't be in order to protect the family. Mikael called him weak, but he was the strongest of them in a lot of ways. He took care of them all and had hardly gotten acknowledged for it. He'd been the one to protect his birth father from Mikael's wrath and was the one who even now covered up their mother's visits to him.

Marcel's birth father had been abusive and a drunk. When he had come to find him, years after they had taken him in, with threats and demands for money, he had been taken care of in quick succession, disappeared without a trace. None of them had asked questions, but they all knew the truth.

When Elijah had met Celeste, she had been a thief, a survivalist. She'd stolen identities from more than one woman in more than one state. She was notorious by the time she'd reached New Orleans. A woman of many faces. She and Klaus hadn't been fond of each other but when Elijah had declared that he loved her, the detective that had been after her at the time had been taken care of as well. She'd become an asset to them in the long run, a master manipulator. But that hadn't been the reason Nik had done it. It had been for Elijah.

That was the real reason they had all tolerated Abby's presence. Despite his flaws, and there were many, when it came down to getting his hands dirty for the sake of the family, Nik was the one they all came to. Even Mikael wasn't above taking advantage of the fact, often using Nik's constant search for approval against him.

She and Elijah had found happiness because of it. Rebekah wanted that for Nik as well and the more she got to know the girl the more she was sure that Bonnie was the answer. The only point of doubt she had was that she wasn't sure how cutthroat Bonnie could be, how thick her skin was. If she could handle not just Nik and his desires but their family and their secrets. Hayley was a test of sorts.

"So, what do you say, Nik?" Rebekah asked.

"I want her," Klaus said finally, "But after tonight, I don't know if she still wants me."

Rebekah smiled. "Trust me. You have nothing to worry about, brother," she said.

 **:::**

Bonnie had gotten up early to go for a run alone the next morning to relieve some tension from the night before. Most of the Mikaelsons were still in bed and would likely be hungover upon waking. Bonnie had grown used to the late nights and so it didn't really bother her. What _did_ bother her was the fact that she hadn't seen Klaus since the rooftop.

Bonnie was in the home gymnasium that doubled as her studio until the one Klaus was having built for her was completed, finishing the last of her stretches, when the last person she had expected to find her, did.

Finn Mikaelson had been an enigma from the moment that Bonnie had arrived. Even Mikael, in all of his entitlement, ego, bravado, and controlling ways was easier to get a read on. As Finn walked into the gym wearing sweats and an exercise tank Bonnie stared dumbly at him as he stopped in front of her.

"If you will allow it," he said, as Bonnie's arms dropped to her sides from where she had been stretching them over her head, "I believe that I can be of some assistance."

It was probably the most he had said to her. Bonnie remembered Katherine's words. She had to get everyone on her side. While Abby not coming home after the bar, and the scene she made the night before was doing wonders in terms of making Bonnie look good, she would still have to put in the work on her own as well. "Sure," she said aloud.

Finn nodded. "Very well," he said, before instructing, "Lie down. Flat on your back."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow at him but did as she was told. She laid down on one of the matts and watched apprehensively as Finn hovered over her.

"You're very good at following orders," he grinned, "Very amiable, even with your rebellious spirit. I'm sure Klaus enjoys that about you."

Bonnie tensed. "Excuse me?" She didn't bother to hide the nastiness in her tone.

"There, there," Finn said, patting her right leg before lifting it up, "No need to get upset. I'm not like my siblings. I don't like games. I prefer being straightforward. I like to be direct about things. Be it the fact that, you've managed to impress my family in a very short period of time, where it has been months of us dealing with your mother only for us to _still_ find her very lacking in appeal. Or the fact that you've been the topic of many recent family discussions. Or the fact that my brother wants to fuck you."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "I..."

"Don't look so surprised, darling," he said, "Surely you've seen the way he looks at you. He doesn't have much self-restraint. From what I've heard, he even made a move already. You can talk openly with me. Feel safe in doing so."

Bonnie stared up at him uncertainly as he bent down far enough to rest her leg on his shoulder. "Okay...," she said.

"You're very intriguing, Miss Bennett," Finn as he stretched her right leg and used his left hand to bear down on the other, "But you're aware of that. Given the stunt you pulled with my father and the way that you've managed to wrap Niklaus around your little finger so quickly, you know how to use it to your advantage."

Bonnie was on edge. "I don't know what-"

"Let's not play dumb," Finn said, stretching Bonnie's leg almost painfully, "We're too smart for that, you and me. I am rather fond of you in all honesty. You have a lot going for you. Don't ruin it by trying to make a fool of me, my dear."

Bonnie nodded and Finn let her leg down with surprising gentleness and moved to the other. "Alright," she murmured.

Finn smiled. "Very good then," he said, "I would call you a good girl, but we wouldn't want to upset Niklaus too much, now would we."

Bonnie flinched. Apparently, she wasn't being as subtle as she thought where Klaus was concerned or rather what was more likely the case, his siblings knew him well enough to sniff out his interest in her even before she made her own move. She expected this from Rebekah, but Finn? She supposed the entire family knew all too well about Niklaus' tastes. It made her wonder even more about Hayley and their tolerance of Abby.

"You haven't said more than two words to me since I moved in here," Bonnie said, "Where the hell did this come from?"

"When I first heard that you were moving in, I thought you were plant of some sort on Abby's part," he continued, "Rebekah was of much the same mind. We are all aware of Niklaus' preferences and I figured Abby wasn't above using her daughter as bait. Get Klaus to commit adultery. Take advantage of the adultery clause in their prenuptial agreement. Walk away with a small fortune for her and her daughter and be on her merry way. So, I watched you."

"Abby isn't that smart," Bonnie said, as Finn lifted her left leg, "And I'm not that willing to work with her in any way. Money be damned. Not that she would want to share anything she could manage to scheme from Klaus with me."

"I'm well aware of that, now," Finn smiled, "I was giving her too much credit and you not enough. She wouldn't take you into enough consideration to include you in anything. She couldn't stand having Klaus' attention on you or anyone else outside of her, even if it benefited her, because she's that narcissistic. And she's far too selfish to do anything that would benefit you. And you despise her as much if not more than we have come to."

"Got it in one," Bonnie laughed. "She's not liable to consider me as an ally in any sense of the word. A threat, perhaps. But not to her current standing with Klaus. To her bid for attention and to get into the town's good graces, sure. She's an idiot. She thinks she can win me over and make herself look good in the process. A smarter woman who had a husband like Klaus, wouldn't let me near him. Especially, given that she abandoned me and screwed my grandmother over even before her death."

"It's a good thing we're not dealing with a smarter woman," Finn said, stretching her left leg up and over his shoulder "Even without our distaste for Abby, _you_ look far better on paper Your mother is a flighty bohemian who barely finished high school and didn't go to college. She has no marketable skills and no loyalty to anyone but herself, proven plainly by the fact that she abandoned her family to travel the world without thought for the wellbeing of you or your grandmother. Never mind her ex-husband. She has survived by jumping into men's beds to get into their pockets. She would betray Niklaus or anyone in this family in second if the mood suited her or she found it even _remotel_ y beneficial to do so."

Bonnie didn't argue because he had read her mother well and she knew he couldn't have been the only one of them to do so. While he was quiet and loyal, Finn had gone from a passivist in Bonnie's mind to a watch dog. Observant and ever on guard, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"You, on the other hand," Bonnie swallowed as he continued, wondering what his assessment of her would be, "are a student, with just enough of a rebellious streak to be interesting. But have managed to keep your grades up even amid the chaos Abby left in her wake and with your most recent tragedy in both college and previously high school. You have more than one marketable talent in the arts, both of which could be used to our advantage at a later date in terms of grants, funding, networking at performances and in companion to Niklaus' own talents if and when he chooses to open a gallery in town. You've spent the better part of your teenage and young adult years caring for your ill grandmother, which means you're both loyal and nurturing. You have amicable, if not close-knit relationships will all the key players in this town. The founding families, parents and their heirs alike. Council members as well. You'd be an _asset,_ as opposed to a blemish. With the right grooming, of course. Even looking at you right now, I can see that you're willing to play the deadly game of chess that we rich must play to stay in power. To survive. You'd be good at, in many ways you already are. With my help you'd be better."

He was far more observant than anyone gave him credit for, Bonnie would give him that. But he was also, like most rich men, a bit pompous and full of himself.

"Abby thinks that she can play the game and she's already married to Klaus. Why not help her?" Bonnie asked.

She wanted to make sure that his disdain for Abby was real before she played into his hands for her own means. It sounded real enough, but Bonnie was no fool. No lamb like Celeste thought. She was dealing with master manipulators here. A pack of wolves in a den, not pups in a kennel. She couldn't take anyone's words at face value until her place within the fold was cemented. Not even Klaus's, and she trusted him. Wanted him. So, Finn who was quiet in his cunning would be questioned more than most.

"Abigail would have many believe a lot of things about herself that aren't true. I know that and you know that," he said, as he continued to help Bonnie through her stretches, "Right now she's nothing more than Klaus's act of rebellion. He married her because he knew we'd hate her. Our mother and Mikael specifically. She was never meant to be a permanent fixture. He's bored with her. Has been for some time. Now she's simply a hanger on. A _stain_ on the Mikaelson name. Like red wine on a white Persian rug. Noticeable. She makes us look less competent as a collective. She needs to be usurped. Thrown out and replaced. The quickest way to do that would be to place another queen in play for her seat. One more befitting to the king at her side. One that is more to his tastes. Do you understand?"

Bonnie raised a brow. For someone who hadn't talked to her before this, he had a lot to say. He could've been baiting her. Trying to get her to show her hand. For all she knew if she admitted that she was trying to do just that or even agreed with him too quickly, he'd go to his parents and then both she and Abby would be out on their asses.

So, Bonnie played her cards close and feigned surprise. "So, you want me to steal my mother's husband?" Bonnie asked.

"I wouldn't have bothered to suggest it if I didn't believe that you were already up to the task. Whether its revenge you want or if you're genuinely interested in Niklaus. A little of both perhaps," Finn shrugged, "The two of you have barely taken your eyes off each other since your arrival. I'll have to teach you the art of subtility. In any case, Niklaus wants you and you want him. If I thought you felt otherwise, I'd offer myself up as an alternative. It would get you in the family as a stronger ally at the least. And as I said before, I am rather fond of you."

They'd finished stretching by then and Bonnie stared up at him in confusion. "You don't even know me," Bonnie said, "You sure as hell don't know what I want or if I care what you or your brother want. And as for fondness... You and your siblings talk a lot about boredom. I'm willing to bet you all fancy yourselves fond of any person who doesn't put you to sleep within the first five minutes of meeting them."

Finn laughed. "You could be right," he admitted, "I know enough of you to know that you know what loss is. What grief is. And yet you still know how to live and have fun. You have passion for dance. For music. You're willing to take risks. But they are _calculated_. Like the move you made with Mikael. You show enough of yourself to keep people interested, but not enough to make yourself vulnerable. You live by your own rules, but you also can give up control when it suits you. Let someone else lead, while you follow. It's the lack of stability, I think that brings that bit of submission out in you. Your life has been chaos and you're drawn to even the slightest semblance of order. That's what Niklaus sees as well. What he wants to prey upon. But he's mistaken if he believes that you are even _close_ to the prey you allow yourself to appear to be. Am I close?"

"What the fuck?" Bonnie frowned, sitting up. She didn't like someone seeing right through her when she couldn't get a read on them. "You _are_ observant, I'll give you that. But also, kind of creepy."

"I'm a lawyer," he said, "I have to be. Observant, that is. I have to know what makes people tick. When and how they lie. I have dig for what they try to hide so I can use it to manipulate them toward the outcome I desire. I've never lost a case. It works in this family as well. My parents and siblings believe me obedient, lackluster, and weak. But they're often blind to what goes on behind the façade. All but Niklaus. He and I are two sides of the same coin. We'll never get along because of it. That darkness that you're picking up on in me, is something he possesses as well, tenfold. He's learned to use as a lure for the opposite sex. I haven't quite managed that myself just yet. I've learned to do what he can't in terms of manipulating Mikael and Esther at least, he resents me for it."

"Do you resent him?" Bonnie asked.

"At times," Finn shrugged, "At times I pity him, however. Though, I'd say I pitied us all on his wedding day."

Bonnie laughed. "You gave me that whole spiel about her being blight on your family's existence. But this sounds more personal than that. Why do _you_ hate Abby? I mean, Rebekah is understandable. She's close to Klaus and my mother not being her first pick makes sense. Elijah as well, though he doesn't seem to care one way or other for her. He's indifferent. Same with Kol. I guess. Esther dislikes her but I doubt she likes anyone. Same with Mikael. But you, what reason do _you_ have to dislike her aside from the obvious?"

Finn frowned. "As I said, she makes us look less of a unit," he said, "We have an image to uphold. Also, while I haven't uncovered all her motives yet, I believe she will lead to ruin for Klaus and embarrassment for us all if allowed to continue to flourish. To put it plainly, she's a nuisance. I operate on a quid pro quo basis. Tit for tat. She has nothing to offer, only something to gain from our association with her and so she has to go."

"You weren't lying about being straight forward," Bonnie said.

"No, I was not."

Still Bonnie had gotten the information that she needed. If Finn saw something to gain in their association with Bonnie, he'd be an ally.

He wasn't that bad on the eyes and he was way more interesting than Bonnie had originally thought. He saw her as an investment, a way to elevate his family and that was surprising. She might have taken him up on his latter offer if she wasn't already gone for Klaus. Still she wasn't above using his attraction to her to her advantage at later date.

He must have taken her silence for reluctance, because in the next moment he said, "Perhaps I was wrong, about you already having your own plans. Or maybe, you need a bit more convincing to rid this family of your wayward mother. There's someone here to see you that might do a better job than me."

He stood and Bonnie allowed him to help her to her feet. He walked out of the gym and Bonnie followed. For a moment she thought that he was taking her to Klaus but instead he led her to a small office on the far side of the mansion.

Pearl Zhu was sitting at a desk as they walked inside. She looked relieved when she saw Bonnie. "You're a hard person to track down, Miss Bennett," she said.

Bonnie sat down across from her and listened as the woman told her about her grandmother's will. About the stipulation that Abby try to connect with Bonnie. About her own trust fund that she had access to that Abby neglected to inform her about in hopes of using the Mikaelson money to force Bonnie's hand when it came to staying with her so that Abby could gain her own inheritance.

"I'm not sure what motives she has in not telling you," Pearl said, "But I wanted to make sure I did my job as Sheila's lawyer and let you know that Sheila did fully intend to leave you very well taken care of. Technically, I am not supposed to give out this much information regarding Abby's own qualifications to receive her inheritance, but as they involve you, I wanted you to know. She's also seems to be making a case to prove you incompetent, so that she can gain power of attorney over your trust as well. She mentioned your acts of rebellion, recreational drug use and drinking as points in her favor. I made sure to let her know that any court would see these things as natural coming of age occurrences for a young adult such as yourself as you don't partake in excess and it hasn't disrupted your daily functioning. Even with those things you've managed to stay in school, excel academically, which I believe you will continue to do upon your return after your leave of absence. You also were responsible enough to take leave to care for Sheila in her last days. All those things point to a very competent and capable young woman. I wouldn't be worried about that if I were you. Just the fact that she mentioned it, gave me pause."

"Thank you," Bonnie said, trying to keep her cool, "I appreciate you keeping me informed."

Bonnie wasn't sure about Abby's motives either. Abby had access to Klaus and his money, so why go to so much trouble for the money that Sheila had left behind? Perhaps she saw the writing on the wall. Maybe she wanted to use it as a safety net in the case that her marriage with Klaus fell through. All Bonnie knew was that Abby deserved nothing. She would have to do everything in her power to discredit her mother's attempts to connect with her and Abby as a whole, so she wouldn't see a dime.

Bonnie turned to Finn. "You were right about before," she said, speaking in veiled terms in front of Pearl, "I've been working on that project that you were talking about. Now that I've got this information, I'm even more prepared to do whatever it takes to complete it. Rebekah has already offered to help. Can I trust that I'll have your assistance as well?"

Finn smiled. "I am completely and utterly at your disposal, Miss Bennett."

 **:::**

Even with the conversation from the previous night, the last person that Klaus was expecting to see when his sister and mother dragged him to breakfast at Mystic Grill the next morning was Hayley Marshall. She was supposed to be in New Orleans. More important than that, she was supposed to be in his past.

Bonnie had arrived ahead of them and was eating with Sheriff Forbes and her bubbly little twit of a daughter, Caroline, when they arrived. But Bonnie's eyes narrowed as she watched Hayley walk over to him, and greet him, his mother, and sister as if no time had passed. He hadn't even gotten to talk to Bonnie about the happenings of the night before and already it seemed like his progress was about to fly out the window.

Rebekah had told him about their conversation. About Bonnie's fears. Her vulnerability. His first instinct was to reassure her. But he couldn't do that. They were in public and Abby would be meeting them any moment now in any case. What he could do, was get rid of Hayley.

Hayley was smiling at him the way she always had, sweet with a hint of mischief. She was wearing a dress that was tight enough to make her look like she was trying too hard. Her hair tumbling down over her shoulders. It was much like when he first saw her. But time _had_ passed. It had diminished her appeal greatly. Not because she had aged or anything so shallow. She was still rather young. He just knew her for what she was now, where he hadn't before. The way he was beginning to know Abby. Where he had once looked at her and seen promise and potential, he now looked into the hazel eyes of his former lover and saw only a nuisance.

He and Bonnie had things to discuss, now that they were finally done dancing around each other. That kiss was only the beginning and she needed to know that. But as he glanced at her as Hayley reached out and touched his arm, he could already see Bonnie shutting down. His sweet girl's eyes were losing their light, and he had to remedy that.

Klaus turned back to Hayley and chose his words carefully as he spoke. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"I came all this way, and that's the welcome I get?" Hayley said, her hand squeezing his bicep.

He took a step back, let her hand fall. Before he could respond Rebekah spoke first, loud enough for those watching to hear. "Of course, we're happy to see an old friend," his sister said, "You should come eat with us. Nik's wife will be here soon. I'm sure she'd love to meet you."

"I'd be happy to," Hayley said. Klaus fought the urge to roll his eyes.

Abby would not in fact love to meet Hayley. They all knew that. But from the outside, as no one else knew who she was, it looked innocent. It would allow him to escape any wrongdoing once the town knew the truth. And Abby, if she reacted to Hayley's presence when she arrived, all the better. Like Rebekah had said the night before, if she was looking at Hayley, she wouldn't be worried about the goings on between him and her daughter.

He glanced over at Bonnie as he thought of her. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she got up and excused herself from the table that she was at with the Forbes girl and headed towards the bathrooms.

He frowned. "You all find a table," he said, "if you'd excuse me for just a moment." He didn't wait for an answer before he followed Bonnie's path towards the bathrooms.

He stopped in front of the sets of doors leading to the men's and women's restrooms and glanced around to make sure he wasn't being watched before slipping into the women's bathroom.

He wasn't surprised to find Bonnie standing at the sink. She met his eyes in the bathroom mirror and raised one eyebrow. "Are you lost?" She asked.

Klaus sighed. It was the reception he had expected with Hayley officially back in town. "Are we alone?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "A little late to ask but, yes."

Without hesitation he walked to stand behind her. Placed his hands on her hips. Even if she wasn't exactly giving him a warm welcome, he wanted to be close to her. He wanted a bit of that moment back that they had stolen together on the rooftop the night before. "You look breathtaking."

"Thank you." She smiled softly, but her face was blank again a moment later. "Is that Hayley?" She said.

Klaus frowned. He had wanted a chance to talk to her himself about Hayley before this. About his past. All she knew about Hayley now, was hearsay from his siblings. He had wanted a chance to get ahead of it. To tell Bonnie their history on his terms when the time was right. But thanks to his sister machinations and Hayley popping up out of nowhere, he had lost that chance. They hadn't even gotten started yet and already Klaus had baggage coming to the table. "It is."

"So, what, she came all the way down here from New Orleans because you weren't answering your phone?" There was an edge to her voice, a sarcasm. There was something else underneath. Jealousy. Klaus couldn't help but being vindicated by it. He'd been feeling it enough because of her, the night before.

"I don't know why she's here," Klaus said honestly. Rebekah might've made contact, but Hayley obviously had her own motives. Hayley did what she wanted when she wanted. He could likely guess some of her motives, but he didn't really give a damn.

Bonnie huffed, glaring at him in the mirror. "Don't you?"

Klaus let his arms wrap around her completely, pulling her into his chest. "You're angry. Let Daddy make it better."

Bonnie shook her head, not willing to give in to him in that moment. She looked serious as she spoke. "I'm irritated," Bonnie corrected, "But it's been that kind of morning."

Klaus frowned. "What do you mean?"

He wanted to go back to the night before. When they had been drunk. High. When she had been soft and pliant against him, her lips on his. Now she was closed off and he was beginning to get irritated as well. Not with her but the situation. With his ex and his current headache, that were so determined to close the door that they'd finally given in and opened. Even if the interference was mostly unintentional.

"My grandmother's lawyer came to see me this morning," Bonnie sighed, "Told me about her will. Said to be careful because Abby is...acting suspicious. That she only asked me to come live with you because my Grams stipulated it in her will, for Abby to get the money that she left her. She didn't leave Abby much money, but...I guess it doesn't take much for Abby."

Abby didn't need money. Not when she had him. Klaus knew there was likely something else at stake. He silently vowed to find out what it was. His mother had warned him when he'd brought her home that Abby seemed layered and that's what attracted men to her. That she was layered in fact, but the trick of it was, those layers were paper thin. Like placing a glossy new cover over a worn book with yellowed and tattered pages on the inside. Very easy to peel back. And once one did, the picture on the other side of it, was bland, unappealing, not worth looking at. He was beginning to understand what she'd meant.

Bonnie eyed him, studied his face in the mirror. "You're not jumping to her defense." Bonnie said.

Klaus shrugged. "It doesn't shock me, so, can't see the point in trying to defend something I don't doubt to be true." He turned Bonnie around until she was facing him. "What else did the lawyer say?"

Bonnie looked down and away. "Grams might not have left Abby a lot, but she left _me_ more than enough to take care of myself. There's a trust she's been saving since I was a baby. Valuable antiques and artifacts she had stored at the college. Most of which I plan on selling to Celeste. Among other things. I thought I just got the house but aside from the small amount she set aside for Abby, and some money and belongings that went to Emily and my cousin Lucy upstate, Grams pretty much left me everything she has of value on top of the trust. Which means...I don't need to stay with you anymore."

Klaus scowled. No. She was right there in his grasp. There was no way in hell he was letting her go now. "You're not going anywhere." He said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Stay. Keep your money. Save it. Hold Mikael to his promise. Let him pay for your schooling. He has the money to spare. Be with me. _Stay with me._ "

"And what?" Bonnie spat. "Be your mistress? You're married to my _fucking_ mother. Or did you forget?"

He reached out and grabbed the back of her neck, his grip tight, unyielding. "Watch your tone, little girl."

Bonnie stared back at him, her gaze challenging. "Or _what_?" Klaus squeezed. A warning. Still she didn't back down. He'd been right about her. She was fierce. She could handle him. She had potential. "Am I wrong? This thing between us. Whatever it is. It's not going anywhere. It was bad enough when I had to compete with Abby for your attention and now this other bitch comes out of nowhere and I...my whole life I've been made to feel like I'm not enough. I not going through that again. Especially not with you."

Klaus' grip softened. God, but they were so alike he and her. "I wouldn't do that to you. I'd never make you feel like that. I've been made to feel that way, the same as you. You're the _last_ person I'd ever put in that position." He reached with his other hand to touch her face, traced his fingers along her cheek. "You're not just enough. Your _more than_ enough. You don't have to compete with _anyone_ for my attention. You have it. As far as where we'll go...we'll go wherever you want us to. Abby won't be an issue. I'll make sure of it. You just need to stay with, Daddy. Do you understand? Daddy promised to take care of you. I just need you to trust me. I keep my promises. That means my sweet girl gets whatever she wants."

Bonnie shivered, but still she resisted. He was likely playing into her hands, but he didn't really give a damn. He meant every word. He wanted her to know it. To feel it. The more he learned about Abby the less she became anything more than an obstacle for him to get what he wanted. He wanted Bonnie. He needed Bonnie.

"You know the right things to say," Bonnie said, "But you've said them before, haven't you? To other girls? They're words. You want me to stay with you now, but what happens when you get bored with me. When your attention is taken elsewhere. Then where do I end up?"

There was something frantic surfacing inside of him at the thought of her leaving. "I'd never get bored with you," he said, his hands framing her face, "I need you. From the moment I saw you I needed you. Do you know how much it would hurt, Daddy, if you left me? Do you know how crazy it would make me?"

Her hands fisted in his shirt. Perhaps she was playing him a little, but she also needed the assurance. "Tell me...," she begged, "Tell me how much it would hurt. Tell me what you would do to make me stay."

Klaus had enough insecurities of his own to know what she wasn't saying. She needed to feel secure. Given what was at stake for them both, it made sense. She had an out, and she was prepared to take it. He had to stop her, by any means necessary. "I'll prove it to you. I'll show you."

Klaus grabbed her by the throat again and kissed her. Hard and rough. He took her bottom lip between his teeth, ran his tongue over it. Released it in time to swallow her moan as Bonnie opened her mouth to him. She gripped his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin, sure to leave marks even with his shirt in the way. He sucked on her tongue, pulling her closer even as she responded by pushing him away at the sound of footsteps.

The bathroom door open and they stepped apart. When he turned toward the door, Klaus wasn't surprised to see Hayley. They had been getting sloppy, caught both times they were too caught up in each other to be careful, and now the devil had appeared. He wished he had more self-control where Bonnie was concerned.

Bonnie tensed beside him. She said nothing, but her expression spoke volumes.

"This looks cozy." Hayley said, her eyes shifting between them.

His eyes narrowed. "Last I heard you were married," Klaus said, "And in New Orleans."

Hayley frowned. "That's over," she said, and then, "I heard you were married, too. Imagine my surprise when I found out she was _older_." She glanced in Bonnie's direction. "I'm assuming this isn't her. Too young. More your taste, though."

Klaus took a protective step in front of Bonnie, hiding her partially from view. He knew his sweet girl could handle herself just fine, but the move, the need to safeguard, was instinctive. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?" He said, his tone sharp.

Hayley didn't flinch. She was used to the tone. Had heard it many times before. Bonnie didn't flinch either, though. She stood her ground as Hayley eyed her again.

"You aren't going to introduce me?" Hayley asked, smirking.

Bonnie stepped around him before he could respond. "I'm Bonnie," she said, "And the old bitch that you're so shocked to hear that he's married to, is my mother."

Klaus winced as Hayley laughed. "I knew you had a _Lolita_ complex. But type casting yourself as Humbert, Humbert is a little much even for _you_ , Nik."

Again, Bonnie responded before he could open his mouth to retaliate. Klaus watched as she approached Hayley, standing close and invading her space. Toe to toe. "I know who you are and we both clearly know his type, so let's not mince words. I'm assuming from your comments and your behavior that you're attempting intimidation of some sort. You've got the wrong audience," Bonnie said, "He said you were married, right? And since you made the trek all the way from Louisiana, I'm guessing that didn't end well for you, huh? So, you thought, you'd come here, bat your eyelashes and talk your way back into his bed. Even when you found out he was married, didn't matter because his wife is older, right? And you know what he likes, what he _really_ likes. So, what, you thought you could either manipulate him back into a relationship with you and then bleed him dry, _or_ get him to fuck you at the very least, then blackmail him because of the whole wife thing, and _then_ bleed him dry? Am I close? Did I do good?" The last Bonnie asked with a look of mock innocence.

Klaus stared. He was impressed. This was a side of Bonnie he hadn't seen. Even with Mikael she had been mocking but calm. But this...her tone was lethal, _territorial_. Bonnie was right, of course. She didn't know Hayley and yet she had read her so easily. He kept underestimating her, it would seem. His precious girl wasn't so sweet after all, even if she was sweet to him.

"Too tight dress," Bonnie continued, "Pouty expression. Three-year-old Louis Vuitton shoes, that were probably gift a from Klaus, seeing as I'd doubt, you'd be standing here if your new more than likely _ex_ -husband could afford them. I've seen girls like you a dime a dozen come in and out of this town. You can play like you walk big. Talk big. But all you really are, is a desperate, pathetic _parasite_ looking to take advantage of anything and anyone to survive." She gestured towards Klaus. " _He_ isn't your mark anymore. Hell, I'm not one to judge so I'll even point you in the direction of a new one. But _he_ , is spoken for."

 _God,_ she was _spectacular._ She made him so proud. Even hungover and sleep deprived he felt like he could take her, there on the bathroom counter while Hayley watched. Pin her down. Make her beg. Whisper endless words for praise in her ears. She had claimed him. Right there in front of that bitch that had been ashamed of him. That had gone along with him when it came to spending his money but had called him perverse when it came time to give him what he needed. Had mocked him and thought it a game. Had left him when he was of no more use to her.

"I have to wonder," Hayley said, "Are you protecting _your_ interest or your mother's?"

Perhaps Bonnie had given too much away. It was too soon. Too new with them Though, given what Hayley had witnessed even before Bonnie had spoken, there wasn't much use in hiding.

Still, if Abby found out before things even progressed, they'd be over before they started. And Hayley, she was just vindictive enough to blow his life to pieces if she didn't get what she wanted, and Bonnie had been right about what she likely wanted.

"Does it really matter?" Bonnie laughed, her confidence not leaving her, "Either way, you're not going to get whatever it is you came here for. And either way, _I_ am not the one who has anything to worry about."

"You think that you know what you're getting yourself into, but you don't," Hayley said, her face suddenly serious, "I've been down this road with him before. With his family. You don't know the lengths they're willing to go to-"

Klaus stepped forward then, cutting off Hayley's warning before she could finish it. He wouldn't have her scaring Bonnie away from him. As adamant as he was about fighting his feelings for Bonnie before, he was just as adamant to keep her by his side in that moment. "Be careful of your next words, Hayley."

"It's been a while since you called me by my name," Hayley said. "What? No, princess?"

His hands clenched into fists. He was coming down from the high he was on. From Bonnies' presence. He could've killed Hayley. Drowned her in the nearest toilet with no remorse. He'd wanted to tell Bonnie about his past on _his_ terms and there Hayley was slapping him in the face with it.

"Oh, sweetie," Bonnie smirked, "How cute?" She reached out a hand and tucked a strand of hair behind Hayley's ear, her tone almost placating, but more than a little condescending when she spoke. "Was that a warning? You think I don't know about him? Oh, princess, _I'm his little girl_ , now. Of course, I know. No one knows _Daddy_ better than me. I'm the newest addition to the family and they happen to be very fond of me. And you...you're really starting to piss me off. You're killing my vibe. And Daddy hates it when I'm upset." There was a deliberate pause that made the threat clear, before she continued. "But...I have an omelet waiting and I'm really not worried about you. So, go ahead and shoot your shot, boo. Embarrass yourself. And when you're done, go back to whatever rock you crawled out from under."

Klaus was surprised at how confident Bonnie was in his family's backing. How comfortable she was making a veiled threat, and how much faith she had that Klaus would carry it out if necessary. The thought didn't bother her clearly, of him harming Hayley for her sake. If anything, she seemed to get off on it. Perhaps he was wrong to think she'd be scared of his true nature. Of his past.

Hayley spoke, interrupting his thoughts. "That's going to be hard to do considering I'm enrolled at Whitmore now," Hayley replied, looking at him over Bonnie's shoulder, "I heard you were teaching there. I thought it would be kind of hot seeing you as a professor."

Klaus thought for sure that Bonnie would finally show some sign of an upset over the words. But she merely looked more amused. "Oh, you really came to play, huh? This'll be fun." She turned to Klaus. "Take care of this, _please_."

"Of course, love." He nodded. He wanted to reassure her, both physically and with words. But Hayley already knew too much, and he was sure another patron could walk into the bathroom at any moment. So, reluctantly, he let her go.

As soon as the door closed behind Bonnie, he turned back to Hayley. "Give me one good reason not to _kill_ you right now."

"Don't be so dramatic," Hayley said, "You won't do anything. Not in public at least. And if she was _so_ important, you would've gone after her."

"She asked me to take care of you, and that's exactly why I'm still standing here," he said, "Nothing more."

"I'd be happy to let you take care of me again, the way you really want to." She took a step closer to him. "She may think she knows you, but you and I know that not many women can handle the places you can go when you get... _close_. You're not there yet with her are you."

"If I recall correctly," Klaus said, " _You_ couldn't handle it. You called my particular brand of devotion, _disturbing_. And yet, here you are."

"I was young then," Hayley said, giving him the puppy dog look he had once been weak for, but now looked pathetic, "I didn't know what I had. I want to come back home. I've learned my lesson, Da-"

His hand shot out to grab her by the wrist before she got the word out. His grip was painful, hard enough to bruise. A threat, a warning. "Don't call me that. Don't even _fucking_ think it. You lost that right a long time ago. Like I said, if I didn't go after her, it was because she asked me to take care of this, of _you_. And what my little girl wants, _she gets_. You don't get to disrespect my sweet girl by letting that moniker fall from your tongue. Not when it's directed at me. She's the only one that gets to call me Daddy. She's perfect. You're _nothing_."

Hayley's eyes widened. She wiggled out of his grip. "Holy shit," Hayley shook her head, "You're really gone for her, huh? I thought she was all talk, but she has you _twiste_ d." A pause and then. "Has she let you fuck her yet? No... I don't think so. You're not secure enough in it. Too riled up. Not cocky. No bragging like you do when you're comfortable. You're terrified. I can see it. She doesn't know. You haven't pinned her down yet. Spanked her. Choked her. Degraded her to the point where she hated looking in the mirror."

Klaus sighed. "It was never about degradation," he spat, "You just weren't built for it. It was never what you wanted. You just never fully understood me. The nature of my desires. You thought it was some depraved and perverted little game. It was never that. I could've taken care of you. Built you up. Made you something. But you...we never worked. We wouldn't work, now. But you know that. What Bonnie said, was true wasn't it? You need money. You're here to get what you can out of me, in any way you can."

Hayley didn't answer, but that was an answer in of itself. "You think she'll understand? Better than me? Better than all the others? Is that it?"

"She already does. She understands me better than anyone ever has," Klaus said, honestly, "She was right. I have never wanted anyone the way I want her. She has _nothing_ to worry about. Especially not from the likes of you. But if you upset her again, if you come near her or make her feel threatened in any way by your presence ever again, _you_ on the other hand will need to worry. Do you understand, Hayley?"

She grimaced. "I understand."

Even as he walked around her, he knew that she wouldn't give up so easily. But if it meant proving to Bonnie that he as serious, then he wouldn't give Hayley a choice in the matter. Besides that, he could show Bonnie what she was dealing with at the same time. Hayley had been right about one thing, Bonnie needed to know the lengths he'd go to in order make sure that she stayed with him.

 **:::**

Abby woke up on Isobel Flemming's couch with a hangover and a bad taste in her mouth. Isobel looked as immaculate and well put together as ever in a midnight blue dress and black heels, as she sat in a chair across from Abby and eyed her speculatively.

Abby sighed as she sat up. "I need to get home," she said, "Staying out all night probably makes things look worse after all those Jonas accusations."

Isobel shook her head. "You were always too wrapped up in Jonas for your own good," Isobel said, "Never let a man keep you from getting what you want. Even if you love him. That's the motto, right?"

Abby scowled. "That's how you lost Alaric," she said.

Isobel rolled her eyes. "I never lost Alaric," she said, "We may not be together, but I still have my hold on him. He still loves me. The problem with Jonas is that you've always loved him more than he ever loved you and there's a blind spot there that always gets you in trouble."

Abby tensed. Isobel was right, of course. But Joans had loved her once. Once he discovered what they had created together, their son, he'd love her again. Klaus be damned. No one could know about Jamie yet though, so she had to keep her plan intact. Still she couldn't help but make a dig at Isobel for her remark. "If Alaric still loves you so much then why was he ogling my daughter last night?" Abby shot back.

To her surprise, Isobel laughed. "Your daughter is...," Isobel paused, "A subject of fascination to many men and women in this town and has been from the moment she hit puberty. Kind. Caring. Talented. Sexy. Mysterious. With just enough of a wild streak to keep things interesting."

Abby frowned. She didn't want to hear about Bonnie in those terms from Isobel of all people. There was respect there, she could hear in her voice. Isobel didn't respect anyone, but apparently, she respected Bonnie. "I remember when we were girls like that."

"We were _never_ girls like that, Abigail," Isobel said, "We tried to be. We manipulated many men into believing that we are but...we're not caring and damn sure aren't kind. Sexy, yes, but the mystery is another one of our tricks. Talented, well...depends on what you consider a talent. She doesn't feed off the attention the way we do, doesn't crave it. Probably because she doesn't have to try so hard to get it. Let's face it, we had daughters that surpassed us. It's our curse, I think, to watch them live out the fantasies that we created for ourselves in our heads but never quite reached. We abandoned them, so of course we are bred for suffering."

Abby shook her head. "You may be suffering but I'm doing just fine. I have my fantasy," she said, "Klaus and I may have had a disagreement last night but... I still have him in my pocket and his money in my wallet."

"For now," Isobel said, "But you'll have to be careful now that someone more his type might be coming to town."

Abby sighed as she thought of Hayley. She was beautiful. Dark hair, hazel eyes, slim frame, and the kind of face that stopped traffic. She wasn't like Camille. She hadn't bored Klaus, simply blindsided him when she'd left him. He could still be vulnerable to her. "I'll handle it."

"Maybe start by calling your husband." Isobel handed Abby her phone and she noticed five missed called. Three from Esther and two from Rebekah. None from Klaus.

 _Shit_ , she thought, she was supposed to meet them for breakfast. She'd planned on using it to get the upper hand on the fundraiser situation and prove herself useful. So much for that.

Isobel crossed her legs. "You can't handle this without help," she said, "I'd like to meet this new husband of yours. See where his mind is at. See where his interest lies. You seem to be of the mind that everything will turn out how you want it to because you want it to. But you and I both know that's not how the world works. What that really means is that you're desperate, which is a bad thing. It makes you weak. Vulnerable."

Abby frowned. "I'm fine." She was about to say more when her phone vibrated. She was surprised to see it was a text from Bonnie. Her frown deepened as she opened it and read it. "Hayley is in town. Bonnie just gave me the heads up. And if _she'_ s bothering to do that, it means it's definitely a problem."

Isobel raised a brow. "You're probably right. If you don't want to lose control, you need to put Jonas on the backburner. You need to get your shit together."

Abby sighed. She couldn't agree more. "Don't worry. I've got this." Abby was sure Isobel didn't believe that any more than she did.

 **:::**

Esther Mikaelson's mother had always told her to play her cards close. That anyone who had to bare their teeth at every given threat was weak. That they did so out of fear. That they were prey masking around as wolves. That a real beast didn't need to gnash their teeth to inspire fear in a potential threat. They needed only to smile and show their fangs. A subtle threat was always better. An underhanded maneuver. It could draw attention, so long as it didn't cause the wrong attention. Attention that inspired guilt.

Abigail had never been subtle. So, Esther wasn't all that surprised when she started gnashing her teeth as soon as she walked into Mystic Grill and saw Hayley Marshall sitting at the breakfast table with her, Klaus and Rebekah. Though, she supposed it was now brunch as Abigail was over an hour late. It wasn't long before a confrontation broke out. The whole thing was rather tedious. As much of a disaster as Abby claimed her own daughter to be, Abby clearly was and had been even before the day that she met Esther's son. The woman was a complete and utter mess.

Niklaus was troubled enough as it was. Because of Esther's own indiscretions he already felt as if he didn't belong. That, coupled with his parental issues, made him an easy mark. But Esther could tell her son wasn't foolish. Or rather, foolish in the ways Abby had assumed. He was smiling now, but Abby didn't realize that Niklaus had fangs. His interest in the woman was waning and so Esther would simply bide her time until the woman was disposed of. She'd go the way of the others. The stunt she was pulling at the moment causing her to sink further.

Abby was managing to make even Hayley look classy, which was a feat within itself.

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear the first time," Abby said, from her seat next to Klaus and across from Hayley, "You need to leave."

Hayley for her part remained calm, if a little amused. "I haven't finished my breakfast yet and we were having such a good time catching up."

Esther didn't like Hayley any more than Abby but at the very least the girl knew how to carry herself in a public place.

"I'll just get you a container to pack up the rest," Abby said as she stood, "Hell, I'll even throw in a fresh cup of coffee. What are you drinking?"

Esther rolled her eyes. "Is all of this necessary, Abigail? Hayley is an old friend joining us for breakfast. One you couldn't bother to be on time for. Are you really going to embarrass yourself further by forcing her to leave?" Esther deliberately spoke loud enough for the inhabitants of the restaurant to hear, to ensure that Abby indeed did embarrass herself further.

Esther watched as her daughter-in-law paraded over the counter, and of course Niklaus followed his wife, his tone ever placating as he whispered in her ear. But it was a show, of that Esther was sure. Because he hadn't even brought up the fact that Abby hadn't come home the night before. Which meant one thing, he was beginning to not care whether or not she came home.

Klaus put in the coffee ordered with a murmured word to the boy behind the counter. Esther couldn't hear what he'd said but she knew that her son knew what Hayley liked well enough. Klaus turned his back, to the counter as Abby continued to talk to the boy and paid for the drink and Hayley's breakfast, likely with her son's credit card. Esther huffed.

As they waited for Hayley's food to be boxed up and her coffee made Esther followed Klaus' line of vision. Abby was turning to talk to him now, but he didn't respond, his eyes were on Abby's daughter. Esther raised a brow as Klaus nodded at Bonnie, a small motion undetectable by someone not paying attention.

The order was up and Abby poked Klaus in the side regaining his attention, though her daughter-in-law didn't seem to pick up that she had lost it.

When they came back the table Abby made a show of giving Hayley her carry out container and coffee. Hayley made a show of drinking it. "Just as fresh as you sa-" Hayley began but started to cough a moment later.

Esther shared a look with her daughter Rebekah, who suddenly looked less bored as Hayley's hand came up and clutched her throat. Niklaus knelt by the girl's chair and began to dig through her purse. His face was concerned as the other patrons stood in alarm. But the words Esther heard him hiss under his breath weren't words of concern. "You've been warned. Next time there won't be a warning." Hayley nodded frantically and Klaus smiled.

Esther huffed out a relieved sigh as Niklaus took out the EpiPen in the girl's purse. She remembered absently the girl had a nut allergy. Her eyes landed on the coffee cup. It was Niklaus's work to be sure, but everyone had seen Abby hand the girl the cup.

She thought a moment as Niklaus used the EpiPen and shouted that someone call for help that he'd pulled the stunt for Abigail's benefit. But it couldn't have been, not when it made the twit look guilty in the process. Besides, Niklaus wouldn't risk possible murder for a woman who no longer held his interest. Hayley could've died.

 _But why else would he do this_ , she thought, as she eyed her son. Then she saw he was looking over at another table as some doctor Fall or Fell, or other left her breakfast and rushed over to assist.

She followed his line of sight and her eyes landed once again on Abigail's daughter. Bonnie was wearing a facsimile expression of concern even as she nodded in Niklaus' direction. Bonnie turned to her companions, Sheriff Forbes and her daughter, Caroline, Esther thought the girl's name was, and said loud enough that those nearby could hear. "Looks like that Hayley girl had some kind of allergic reaction or something. Must've been the coffee. My mom handed her the cup, you don't think she would... I mean how would she know right?"

"I heard they had an argument about that same girl at Damon's bar last night. I ran into Damon this morning and he mentioned the girl's name more than once. Abby made this whole big scene yesterday while you were in the employee lounge. Now this. Ugh." The Sheriff's daughter scowled as she spoke. "I know she's your mom Bonnie, but that whole scene looked kind of suspicious."

"I don't know," Bonnie said, biting her lip, "She's my mother, but she's been gone most of my life, you know. I don't really know her that well. I'd never accuse her of anything like that. But it does kind of look bad. Still, how would she know what the girl's allergic to? It had to be an accident. In any case, Klaus got there just in time. It looks like he saved her life."

The Sheriff nodded in agreement. "It would seem so. I doubt Abby will like that, even if it was an accident." Sheriff Forbes turned back to Bonnie and frowned. "I wasn't sure what to think about Klaus when I found out he'd married Abby. I do know her well, and I had my reservations about you staying with them when she moved back as you well know. You're like a daughter to me and Abby has always thought about herself before anyone else. But Klaus, at least, seems to be a good guy. From the scene Abby made, he and that girl clearly have a history. But he's not letting the past cloud his intentions or keeping him from helping someone in need. He didn't hesitate. I hate to say this Bonnie but if it were up to your mother... well...I'm not sure she wouldn't have."

Bonnie didn't comment. Let the silence speak for itself. Esther's eyes widened marginally.

Caroline was the first to speak, her eyes on Liz Forbes. "Mom, you don't know the half of it. He's been so good to Bonnie since Ms. Sheila died." The Forbes girl said.

Bonnie nodded. "He's been really supportive. One of the main reasons I've decided to finally go back to school. His dad is even fronting my tuition. He's family has taken me in as their own. I don't know what I would've done otherwise. With Grams gone I've been floundering. But since I've been with the Mikaelsons I finally feel like I have sense of direction again," Bonnie said, sounding for all the worlds sincere, and making their family look good in the process.

"So, he accepts her daughter from another relationship and probably treats Abby like a queen and this is her response. He's way too good for her," Caroline chimed in. "This Hayley chick is way younger too, and Rebekah, that's Klaus' sister, right?" At Bonnie's nod the girl continued, "She said the girl was an old friend. Abby's probably freaking out over nothing. Your mom seems way too high strung to fit in with his family. I wonder how he ended up with Abby. They don't really seem like a good match."

"She was always a maneater," Sheriff Forbes commented, "Even in high school. Her and Rudy didn't fit either, but she found a way to pull the wool over his eyes before she blindsided him by leaving."

"My dad still loves her, I think. It's kind of sad. I couldn't imagine playing with anyone's feelings like that," Bonnie said, "but I mean she's older now right. Maybe she's changed."

"For his sake I hope so," Sheriff Forbes said, reaching out to touch Bonnie's hand, "For yours too."

Bonnie looked down and away. When she looked up again her eyes landed on Esther. When she noticed Esther watching, she didn't look away. She smiled.

Between the stunt Bonnie had pulled with Mikael and her being more in line with Klaus's preferences, Esther's children had been whispering about Bonnie fitting in with the family far better. Esther had placed Bonnie in the same box with Abby until that moment, all flash and no substance. All talk and no action.

But as she looked at the girl Esther's eyes narrowed. This girl wasn't like her mother at all. This girl, this Bonnie, _she_ had fangs.

 _ **End Notes: Jeez this chapter is long as hell. Lmao. Okay so definitely campus shenanigans as promised next chapter. Already started in the drafts. I just want to update a couple more stories beforehand. Review, review, review! Thanks for reading!**_


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